Until the Day
by N-I-N-T
Summary: After years of separation and argument, Misty gets into an accident that brings Ash back to Kanto in a panic. Unable to cope with the potential loss of his companion, he seeks to turn back time—can he save her? Pokeshipping,
1. Ch 1: I know that it's early

**Until the Day**

Pairing: Ash/Misty

Genre: Romance/Drama

Rating: T (language, violence, coarse language)

Summary: After years of separation and argument, Misty gets into an accident that brings Ash back to Kanto in a panic. Unable to cope with the potential loss of his companion, he seeks to turn back time—can he save her? Pokeshipping,

 **Until the Day, chapter 1:**

 _They were at a Christmas part_ y

Still kids at the time, Ash was seventeen and Misty was eighteen. Delia was in the kitchen preparing Christmas cookies and punch, though Ash and his friends were collectively gathered in the living room, avoiding the mistletoe. That would be the least of his fears today, as Ash wasn't _opposed to the idea_. Except, there was only one female he wanted to meet under there—and she had fiery red hair and a look that could kill. Misty always came to visit his family on Christmas, it had become something of a family tradition—sometimes, even her sisters would attend the party with her, but most of the time, she came alone.

In the most recent years, she came alone primarily because she and her sisters were not _always_ on good terms because she was the sole owner of the Cerulean City gym. Gone were the days when she would clean up after them and house their every mistake— _now_ , they were forced to act like adults, and the Waterflower's of Cerulean City, became the lone flower known as Misty.

However, Ash sought her out for other reasons now that they were older, and he was properly aware of his emotions. Thanks to Brock, and Dawn, and Drew, and Gary—Ash realized that somewhere between all their little fights, the long nights and laughter, Ash fell in love with the proud, passionate, loving woman.

With his heart skipping behind his chest, he turned the corner that would guide him into the kitchen where a dolled up Misty spoke with Dawn and May. Tonight was the night, after much encouragement from Brock—and maybe a little too much of his mom's cider and pikachu's musing, he was going to tell her how he _really_ felt. They had been, after all, friends for over seven years; it was a natural progression. They talked, they called, he sent a letter, she sent a letter—eventually, the feelings _were_ mutual, right?

"So you mean to tell me you have _never_ had a steady boyfriend?" The voice was Dawn's, crass and objective. Practically snarling.

"Never." Misty said confidently. "I haven't needed to."

"And why is that?" Dawn followed up with a slump Ash recognized as her casual hands-on-hip pose. He grinned at Misty's confession, further bounding with confidence. Ash couldn't see the blush that crossed Misty's face but she turned on her heels to look at the woman.

" _Because_ he would _need_ to be a better pokemon trainer than me—no," She gasped, "He would need to be a pokemon _master_. I can't date someone I can't view as an equal."

" _Oh_?" Dawn challenged a comical turn to her brow, her mouth twisted into a grin while she leaned on the counter. Ash froze.

" _What about Ash, then_?" She accused. "Isn't that his goal?"

Carefully, with the tact and skill of someone used to denying such an accusation, Misty stuck out her tongue.

"Ew, gross. Ash is just a friend." She snarled in denial, and while Dawn and May shared a very _knowing_ look, understanding Misty's denial as a way to protect herself and her friendship-

Ash's entire perception of the female broke, and he turned away at the door. Recalling his most recent defeat in the league—he had been lucky to compete and obtain champion in at least one league—but that was still a far cry from _pokemon master_. It was very much a work in progress. A very _heavy_ work in progress.

Gasping for air he fled the doorway right as Misty exited through the second door with a roll in her eyes. She hadn't looked, so Ash stumbled directly into her.

"Ash!" She groaned, prying him away from her. "Watch where you're going, would you?" She grumbled when he looked back up at her with deer eyes.

"Uhh.." he started, glancing away from her awkwardly. "Yeah, sorry." He muttered, preparing to leave when she snatched his arm.

"Are you okay?" Her mock tone turned into one of confusion as he spun around to look at her once more.

She wanted to date a pokemon master.

Ash inhaled. "Yeah, I'm fine." He grinned.

HE could do that. In fact, it only gave him _one more_ thing to add to his list of reasons to obtain the title.

 **XOXS**

Flash forward seven years, and Ash barely remembered that night at his mother's house. Such a silly, inconsistent thing seemed... unnecessary now. She was happier back then, when they were younger. Now she was... _This couldn't have been happening._

Ash groaned, his mind full of unwanted, happy memories, blurring with all the fights the last seven years instilled between them. The silent warfare, the screaming matches. Everything that he ever wanted to grow out of was staring him in the face—choking him.

Years after traveling together, his mom was still _her_ emergency contact. Brock was listed as her second, but her sisters were no where to be seen. They probably never made up—and only _now_ was he kicking his ass for not asking about it.

"What's your relationship to the patient?" the doctor asked in a monotone voice, looking at Delia Ketchum.

"Close family friend..." Delia squeaked out, rubbing her sore throat. She had screamed over the phone for so long, it had almost turned raw.

"Does she have any relatives?" He asked secondly, flipping through some charts. She had undergone emergency surgery before completing her paperwork; they got the necessities: what she was allergic to, if she was pregnant, an alcoholic, or suffered any illnesses. Now they were asking the hard questions. The ones no one wanted to talk about. She would answer for herself—or at least that would have been an option if she was conscious.

Delia paused for a very long moment; "A fiance, I think? And three sisters."

The brown eyed doctor pointed to Ash, and cocked his eyebrows. The doctor tossed a thin finger his direction, and a careless shrug.

He had clearly been sleep deprived himself when he looked at Ash. "Are you the fiance?"

Ash's mother interjected right away, "No, this is my son. They're childhood friends."

No sooner than the words left Delia's mouth did Ash snap, bolting out of his chair in a huff.

"He cheated on her! She might as well not have one at all!" Ash bellowed loudly.

His voice was a sharp pitch that echoed down the white walls of the hospital where he, Brock, and his mother Delia were seated in the lobby. Green plants poked around every corner, and brightly colored, cheerful pictures hung against the walls, taunting him. Ash's fists shook at his sides, but luckily, his dark skinned friend, Brock, stood beside him to grab his shaking fists and guide him back into the seat where he threw Brock off with a flip of his arm, and stormed away from the surprised doctor, and a worried mother.

"I'm sorry..." Delia said, but the doctor told her not to worry about it as he continued his questioning.

Ash needed air, there was no other way to explain it. He felt the adrenaline in his veins, pushing him well past the point of exhaustion. His entire body ached, from head to toe. Ash hadn't slept in over twenty four hours. He was in north Sinnoh at the snow point when his mom had finally gotten a hold of him. Being a _pokemon_ _master now_ , Ash was on a routine trip to the region to investigate a level of complaints fitted with the appearance of a legendary pokemon, however, he had been not one foot out of the jeep he shared with the regional professor when his phone started to buzz constantly.

Twelve hours later, he was in the urgent care unit of the hospital where his mother waited expectantly for Ash's arrival along side Brock, who had been at the hospital since the start of her emergency surgery.

 _Head Trauma. Three broken ribs. Internal bleeding. Bruised abdomen. Neck trauma. Laceration of the left calf. Numerous bruising._

 _Immediate surgery. Shrapnel. Possible spinal injury. Concussion._

 _Head on collision._

Ash felt his head spin and his guts lurched, trying to recall everything the nurse had informed his mother of when he was present after the surgery. She checked out okay. They told them that she was a fighter, made it through the surgery like a trooper, and she was hanging on.

 _Barely_ the nurse added as an afterthought with a face scrunched up to say otherwise.

 _Barely,_ was right. The other guy, the _bastard_ who hit her purple-blue impala, went through the windshield at the point of contact, brains spilled across the floor of the asphalt, a blood splatter here, a crushed bone there. Ash was fortunate enough _no_ t to see the accident, but the description from Officer Jenny was more than enough to paint the horrible picture in his mind. _She_ had been barely conscious when they found her, slipping in an out of awareness. Leading belief of a head injury was the innate lack of works, but her eyes worked, the men and women who called in the accident said that she _smiled_ at them. She was alive before surgery. She was alive after. _She was a fighter_.

Selfishly, a part of Ash believed that she wasn't fighting hard enough. He slipped, down to his knees at the railing. His vision was blurry and he wasn't sure what he didn't eat that day was going to stay down. Ash was twenty-four, he should have been well aware that people died. After all, his own _father_ passed away when he was just a boy, but he couldn't bare the thought that one of his friends, his best friend was.

Clear bile spilled onto the pavement below the balcony Ash hunched over. While he wiped his lip, a shudder ran through him while he chided his inability to withstand the news—here he was, feeling sorry for himself, and _he_ wasn't the one strapped to some hospital bed with foreign objects piercing his skin, keeping him alive. _He_ wasn't the one that spent six hours in surgery. _He_ wasn't the one who was his head on at 6:00am in the morning on a daily routine to work.

Ash was healthy, generally happy, he didn't have a lot to complain about—but now this, _oh this_ , he thought with a scrunch of his nose. His throat burned as if someone placed a match to the insides of his mouth. This was too much.

 **XOXS**

Ash returned thirty minutes later after a quick stop in at the bathroom where he washed his face and rinsed his mouth. In his anger, he had all but forgotten about pikachu who was curled pathetically on Brock's lap while Ash straightened and adjusted his cap, before removing it in respect for other patients in the waiting room.

His mother paced the floor, the gentle tap of her heels creating a soothing affect in his otherwise hostile, crazed emotions. He slumped into the blue, leather seat beside Brock, and exhaled.

"Feel any better?" Brock asked worriedly, looking at him with stroking pikachu's worried head. Ash had profound respect for Brock, being about to stay _so_ calm in such a horrible situation.

Without speaking, Ash shook his head to indicate that he did no feel better—in fact, puking made him feel worse. His tanned skin was a pasty white, his lips were raw and dry from dehydration, and his eyes had dark rings around them, more prominent than his lightning bolt scars. Every sound in the hospital silenced his beating heart, made his fist that he properly lodged into her _fiance's_ jaw sting more, and made his pocket burn where she called him three hours prior to her accident, and he ignored it.

Intentionally. _He ignored it intentionally._.

How he wished he could take back the snark-the bitter remarks they shared. He would trade them, as well as his beating heart if it meant she would just open her eyes.

 **XOXS**

Forty-eight hours in, she was unresponsive to medication; the only indication she was still alive was the faint whisper of the heart monitor stationed at the corner of her room. No one was allowed to go in. _too frail, too weak_. They could hurt her if they moved her arms. The damage to her internal organs, her bones were worse than they thought. Most people, they kept telling the trio, would have already been dead. But she hang on. She fought on.

Hearing that anyone else would be dead didn't make Ash feel any better though while he placed his forehead against the glass that separated them from the patient's room. Her red hair was matted to the sides of her neck—it had grown out past her shoulders, but now looked like heaps of yarn placed delicately over her pale flesh. She wore the traditional white hospital gown, with blue polka-dots, had the comfortable pink bedding that she would have made jokes about.

 _"I don't like the color pink_ " she would complain when they were kids. Ash's face scrunched up. He stared at her face the longest, the hollow, sunken cheeks—the yellow above her right eye indicating the start of a very deep bruise, and the white bandage over her forehead. The left side of her head had been shaved for surgery, and was wrapped with gauze and tapped down with the best tensor bandage they could find. Gone was the natural light from her flesh, the rosy cheeks of determination, and the fiery complexion of her eyes. She was gray, and _dying._

Her arms were littered with IV needles, and she had an oxygen tube _or something_ shoved into her throat to keep her breathing. They had reconstruction the frame of her body to keep her ribs from crushing her lungs, and her internal organs had been twisted to the point that what couldn't be salvaged was removed and patched up.

At the start, Ash joked that when she woke up she would _love_ only having one kidney and half a large intestine: but that didn't seem so funny now that he was looking at her gray skin. Forty-eight hours, and her results which were hopeful at the start, were dwindling. Lab results ran on her brain and nervous system were coming back worse, and the faint of her heart beat was worsening by the minute.

A whisper.

His eyes slipped closed as he exhaled, his breath mashed against the window, fogging a small portion of it up while Delia slipped her hands onto her sons shoulders. None of them had left, or showered, or eaten since they arrived, and so the older woman's hands shook when she grasped him.

"We should get you some sleep, or food, dear." She whispered, but Ash dismissed her with a shrug and lowered eyelids.

"I'm fine." he said weakly. "I'm not leaving until..." the words wouldn't come. Until what? Until she woke up? Until she... No! He couldn't think it, couldn't feel it; couldn't be tempted by it. His stomach turned at the idea.

He swallowed, looking into his mother's hazel eyes, and she dipped her head forward and hissed him on the cheek before looking over at Brock.

"We're going to go grab some breakfast and coffee then... We'll be back shortly. Call us if anything changes." his mother said sweetly, calming even the most riled of Ash's nerves. He exhaled and nodded to her while pikachu bounced back from standing near Brock, to Ash's side loyally.

Brock couldn't take it, if anyone was handling the situation as bad as Ash, it was him. They had all been friends for years, _best friends_. Brock wasn't as brave as Ash, he wasn't as strong as her. So when he looked at Ash with those hurt, defeated eyes. Ash wanted to lash out and tell him to quick thinking in such away.

 _She wasn't going to die!_.

But Delia had that look, too, as if she already accepted it. Ash turned away from if his mother and friend, to look on, back at the woman laying in bed. Pikachu popped onto his shoulder with little ease and nuzzled his trainer on the neck comfortingly. The warmth couldn't penetrate his heart now, though. Ash was slipping, tired, angry, unreachable.

The doctors said it wasn't good. Said if she did wake up there was no telling what the damage to her head was like—they found blood spotting in her cranium. Fractured skull, but still breathing. It was bad, Ash knew that. He also knew that she was a strong, insanely independent woman, and she wasn't _going to die_.

When the thought reached him again, his teeth grit hard, and while tearing his gaze away from her limp body, he pressed the palms of his hands against his face and exhaled. Salty tears would have dripped if he had anymore to cry. Instead, they pooled in his eyes and went no further. Why did this have to happen to _her_? She was the _safe_ one!

She had the same job everyday, she trained younger students, she attended swim meets and track meets—and she volunteered at the pokemon center. She stayed in the same city, she didn't branch out, and she didn't travel—Ash spent a majority of his life scaling dangerous mountain sides, falling over twenty feet cliffs, falling into water at unreasonable distances, being nearly blown up on several occasion, sky diving without parachutes— _he_ was the most likely to die by accident.

Not _her_ , damn it!

Heart rate slowing, stifling the tears that had built up, he placed a shaking, swollen hand against the glass and spoke.

"I'm not ready to say goodbye, _Misty._ "

Now sooner than the words left his mouth did the faint sound of the heart monitor deplete, and he knew for certain this was only the beginning. Without hesitation, he shot away from the window looking into her unit, and screamed for a doctor. Not yet.

….Not yet. Ash could still fix this. He could save her. He wasn't sure how, or why. But he was going to, damn it. He could.

 _He would_.

 **Author's Note** :

This was a request from Mrs. Nose that I sort of turned into a larger story!

It's been a hell of a last few weeks for me, so I'm sorry this was so late. I know I didn't change much from the Mad Season Chapter, but I didn't want to.

I'm using the "Flashback" method of writing as practice! It will be fun to try something a little different. So bare with me.

~Updated weekly

NINT


	2. Ch 2: And it's too hard to think

**Until the Day, Chapter 2**

Ash was twenty one when he earned the title of Pokemon Master.

After completing and winning the Master Cup that is held only once every four years, he earned the title of _Pokemon Master_. Using every pokemon he could at his arsenal, he defeated the final champion; and finally, after eleven years of struggle, earned his place among the kings of battling.

An irreplaceable title that would carry him through the thick of the world. Having finally earned the respect that he had worked for since he was a child was an invigorating sensation that carried deep into the pit of his stomach. Ash crawled through the bellows of hell, competed in ten regions; obtained several finalist medals and exactly _one_ championship title over the last eleven, which finally qualified him to enter the Master Cup.

Along side his pokemon, Ash suffered through, enjoyed, cried, worked hard, and _survived_ every trial thrown at him. He _earned_ it. _They_ , he and his pokemon _earned it._

At twenty-one, Ash was also the second youngest, officially labeled _Pokemon Master_ in the pokemon league; the only trainer who won younger than Ash, was the Legendary Pokemon Trainer Red, who earned the title at 15, when Ash was still a toddler in diapers.

Because of that feat—as well as Ash's boisterous confidence and bragging nature, he was deemed very shortly after his victory the, 'hottest' man in the pokemon league. Packs of women flocked to him, but men wanted to _be_ him.

 _Most eligible bachelor, the most talented young man alive, the Great Pokemon Trainer: Ash._ Were only a few of the titles he received in the twenty four hours following his victory. He wasn't quite _mysterious_ enough to be labeled 'legendary', and even though he personally refused to admit he won by luck in the end, many top trainers knew that Ash won by chance, not because he held more experience than other trainers. Therefore, it was a title earned, but the title was really his only claim.

Ash had _a lot_ more to learn.

He might have been an exceptional pokemon trainer, but in the scheme of the world, politics, and especially girls; he was still an amateur, and that showed. _A lot_.

The celebration behind the victory of, not only another Kanto born resident, obtaining the title, but also a Pallet Town resident resulted in a party that could have been seen from outer space—Ash was sure of it. His mother managed to convince all of Pallet Town to vouch and throw an 'official' league party at the central park square on the indigo plateau, with carnival rides, balloons, and plenty of press— _all for him_. Given the event, people were dressed formally to enter the grand stadium for pictures with _Ash Ketchum, the Great Pokemon Master,_ and his award ceremony.

A self-proclaimed award ceremony, but if Kanto needed a reason to party, what better than the increase of funding for the league in Kanto that Ash had just won them? The winners of the title previously, usually came from all over the world—Kanto hardly made it into the top five, let alone _champion_ of the Master Cup. Ash was like an angel to the League officiators, and so they had no problem throwing a bit of a party in his favor.

Thanks to the success, and news reports, and _interviews_ and _magazines_ and _bulletin boards_ and _commercials_. All of his former traveling companions and friends knew as well.

Not only was he a _pokemon master_ , he had the friends he had as a child, forever backing him up. The feeling was unanimously the greatest euphoric sensation he ever had. Well, second only to actually _winning_ the Master cup.

However, and perhaps it was his ego speaking, goading him, winning meant that one _other_ dream could be obtained; and he was watching _her_ from across the gala, talking with Brock and May—most likely about him, because _honestly_ , who wouldn't want to talk about him right now?

When he strolled over, he did so with such a confidence stride, that the three of them noticed him long before he clicked his dress-shoe heels happily at their sides.

"Why, hello there, friends!" Ash exclaimed, earning a humorous grin from both Brock and May, but a sarcastic smirk from _her_.

"Oh no, don't tell me that it has already gone to your head." She groaned in that mature, silky voice of hers—well, maybe silky wasn't the correct tone; her voice still pitched and cracked at random times. Her voice was the pathway to her emotions, because those sea-green eyes could lie to him quiet fiercely.

"Has _what_ gone to my head?" Ash snickered, grabbing his chest in playful-offense. "Winning the Master cup at twenty-one; nah, that would _never_."

She clucked her lips in that knowing way, then shook her head in such a way that gave him goosebumps. Meanwhile, May and Brock sighed with a short chuckle.

Suddenly, May hugged him. "I'm happy for you, you big dork!" She cheered. "Max was ecstatic when he saw you win; we were all rooting for you." She admit, grabbing his shoulders and scrunching her nose at him happily before pulling away. He grinned in response, an overwhelming warmth budding into his chest at their support.

"Yeah, Misty and I closed the gyms to watch on television." Brock gestured to _her_ , and her perfectly trimmed eyebrow rose. "We didn't have the money for tickets to fly all the way to Unova where it was being held this year, but we did watch—and man, you really did well Ash. I'm proud of you, too." Then Brock hugged him.

Ash turned to the red head, to _her_ , to _Misty,_ grinning ear to ear. "So are you proud of me, too?" He asked, clearly expecting a hug from her as well, but she could only smirk maliciously.

"I'd be more proud if you'd knock off that shit-eating grin of yours." She muttered and swat his shoulder playfully—which was likely the closest thing he would get to a hug.

May smacked her lips. "Oh, give him a break, Misty. He can only win the Master Cup once."

Misty sighed in return, parting her pink lips affectionately and slumping her shoulders in a sarcastic way. Her eyes closed, and Ash couldn't recall the last time he saw her quite so dressed-up. She wore the faintest traces of make up, her hair was neatly brushed with the curls that usually clung beneath her ears flattened and tucked back with a clip. And the slimming, simple cerulean blue dress that she wore brought out the ocean-green of her eyes. He inhaled deeply when she spoke again.

Looking at him through slanted eyes, she grinned.

"I guess you're right, May. It's just hard to imagine little Ash all grown up now." She muttered, and to some extent, Ash knew it was an off-handed compliment. He smiled sweetly in response.

"Thanks, Misty." she said gratefully, her approval meaning the world. Then, the bell in the distance rang and May felt her stomach drop.

"That's dinner!" the brunette crooned, spinning in her pink heels to face to buffet. "Let's go eat guys!" She hissed, lunging forward when Ash snatched Misty's hand before she could follow.

A split second, a short touch, could rob him of the simplest confidence, he swallowed hard against the lump in his throat.

"Can I actually talk to you?" Ash asked, barely above a whisper when Misty looked at him, eyebrows raised.

"Sure." she said awkwardly, gawking at him in her heels. He glanced around for a few moments at the sweltering, bustle of the crowd around then, then inhaled before correcting himself. The lightest trace of a blush covered his cheeks.

" _Privately._..I mean." He corrected, glancing away from her eyes and to the much-more-interesting red carpet lined at the center of the gala.

Misty snorted, and released his hand briefly to nudge his shoulder.

"Sure." She mumbled back nicely. "Lead the way." She added and Ash was grateful that while Misty was a lot of things,l she thankfully never actually embarrassed him when he was legitimately worried. She could always tell when he needed a break. Well, at least _now_ she could. There were a few instances in his childhood he might have been convinced otherwise.

Ash led her around the back of the primary lobby, away from the blinking cameras, and on to the balcony past the front entrances, where he looked over the plateau with a handful of other people there, talking. They didn't seem to mind Ash, or, they hadn't realized who he was yet, because he gripped Misty's wrist for life when he leaned his stomach against the cement railing.

He released her wrist a second later, and his hand burned where their skin connected for so long. Pinpricks of heat rushed through every nerve and he inhaled deep to still his racing heart. Misty got comfortable quickly, crossed her ankles, and leaned over the balcony with one elbow on the cement railing and then glanced sideways at Ash.

"What's up?"

"A lot." he responded quickly, unsure of himself. He glanced at her with wide, brown eyes, then looked away as quickly as possible.

Silence followed, and Misty nudged him. "Well?" She asked, and Ash swallowed hard.

"I..uh..." the words caught in his throat, strangled by pressure and rope. He inhaled again. "How have you been?"

Misty gawked and pinched the bridge of her nose. "You brought be out here to ask how I've been?" She mocked childishly, and Ash pursed his lips.

"No..."

"Then spit it out." She grunted, swatting him on the upper-back, _as if_ that would help him.

It didn't, instead he jumped at the contact and looked directly at her. Her eyes were magical, they breathed life into his words, even though his mind hadn't quite caught up.

"Do you remember a few years ago? At that party at my house, when you might have mentioned that you would only maybe date someone who was only a pokemo-"

"Misty, there you are! I've been looking all over for you. You need to try these!" A boy, that's right, _a boy_ , because there was no way that a _man_ wore a pink ascot with a suit, approached Misty and Ash, holding a plate of dango. He stuck one out to Misty, who turned her nose up at first, then calmly bit down on the round object.

She let him, this boy—this _stranger!-feed her_. A sudden rage bellied Ash, and he was toting on his heels when he looked at the dark-blonde haired boy.

"Oh my god, those _are_ good." Misty mused a moment later, holding her mouth gleefully, which only seemed to stew Ash's temper. _The boy_ nodded and stuck out his arms.

"I _know_ right?!" He gestured, as if he had never experienced food quite so amazing.

Ash scowled. "Who are you?" He cut to the chase with no attempt to hide the edge in his voice.

Misty jumped, and dusted her hands against her dress to point between the two of them. "I'm sorry." she gushed. "Ash, this is Georgio. Georgio, this is Ash." She pointed to each of them for their introduction, and the boy, _Georgio_ smiled eagerly at Ash.

"You're the new Pokemon Master! Wow, Misty, I didn't know you were friends with such talent!" Georgio mused—and had it come from _anyone_ else that was _not_ currently feeding _his_ Misty dango, Ash might have felt complimented.

" _Amazing_ she neglected to mention me; you know, since we've been _best friends_ for the last eleven years and all." Ash couldn't help the glare he directed at Misty as he emphasized the 'best friend'. They weren't 'just' friends. That ship sailed long ago. Misty stuck her tongue out at Ash and snickered.

"I'm sorry, I do have affiliates outside of you, Ash Ketchum." She groaned, with a sincere, maybe apologetic, eye roll. Georgio didn't seem to get the message that Ash didn't want to talk to him, because he kept doing that. _Talking_.

"Well, I'm just tickled pink to finally meet you. I thought you were familiar from pictures at the gym, but I never put two and two together."

 _Tickled pink_...? Ash's eyebrow raised so high in an insulting thought that he had to literally bite down onto his lip to silence himself. He looked at Misty instead, who was better at reading his expression than this _Georgio_ character was. She huffed a sigh and after closing her eyes, she gently touched the _boy's_ shoulder, and brushed him away.

"Georgio, why don't you wait for me with Kasey? We're kind of in the middle of one of those _old friend_ talks." She gestured with her hands for emphasis and the boy made an 'o' with his lips then nodded.

"Certainly, _my sweet_ , I'll see you in a few." He said smoothly, passed a quick goodbye to Ash, and then _pranced_ , not walked, or jogged, or stomped, he _pranced_ away. Ash felt his insides curl.

" _My sweet_?" Ash hissed unpleasantly, eyeballing her. Misty snorted and shrugged her shoulders.

"What? _I_ can't have a nickname, Mr. Pokemon Master?" She joked, but clearly, the mood had already been soured.

"Who _is that_ , anyways?" Ash balked, to which Misty took on her traditional defensive stance; arms folded over her chest, jaw cocked, and hips tilted.

"Why does it matter? I don't ask about about _your_ companions." She was still joking with him slightly, trying to keep the mood light. Ash wasn't hearing her though.

"Well I don't exactly _keep_ my companions a secret, either."

"Pfft! He's not a secret." Misty blew a strand of loose hair from her face. "Well then, if you _must_ know. He's my _date_ to this party."

That was when Ash lost it. Irrational behavior sunk behind his heart, closing it off to whatever he was going to say, _what he should have said_ , instead, he replied:

"Your date? Well jeeze _, Misty,_ how much did you pay him to come with you?" the loaded venom he used in her name sent a shiver down her spine that left her cold despite the warm summer air.

"Excuse me?" she whistled, eyebrows narrowed. But Ash couldn't stop himself.

"And _my sweet_?" He mocked brashly. "You're about as sweet as bee-drill honey. Bitter and tired." He groaned, glaring at her.

Her mouth opened, lost of words. Ash saw the hurt in her eyes as a faint strangled noise escaped her lips-the true indication that he had messed up-but when he went to speak, _to apologize,_ she had already reeled back her hand, and smacked him so hard on his left cheek, he saw stars.

Ash expected her to follow with a witty comment, a hellish amount of vile packed behind a loaded insult, but instead she hiked the skirt of her dress up to clear her path and stormed away from him; leaving him there, holding his cheek.

Like the asshole he was.

 _Damn_.

At the great doors at the end of the balcony, she threw her hands down suddenly, violently, and turned back to yell.

" _I'm not your property!_ "

 **XOXs**

At the time, Ash was convinced he was right. He spent years convincing himself that Misty had lied to him—that she wasn't after some amazing Pokemon Master, she was just as shallow as the rest of the world—what he didn't know, was that she was _still_ Misty, regardless of her choices. He should have never acted that way... and yet he did.

Had he known _this_ was going to happen, he would have hugged Georgio, hugged Misty, and simply accepted that she and Ash were friends. _Best friends_. Wasn't that good enough?

At the recollection of the memory—the start of their crumbling friendship, Ash hung his head against the window of her room where he had yet to leave, and then inhaled very slowly. Tears threatened to spill at the corner of his eyes, but he wiped them away with his thumb, and looked on at her; beaten and bruised. Thanks to the injury, half of her head was shaved where they left stitches and he couldn't stop himself from recalling everything terrible that had happened between them. What if he had been nicer to her? Been there like the friend he should have been instead of constantly fighting her?

The _bad_ memories. Misty was so gorgeous _that_ night—if he started with telling her that instead of...

Maybe this wouldn't have happened.

For the remainder of the morning, Ash went through the motions of listening to the doctor's explanations of what was happening, to the assertion from his mother that Misty could pull through this, and the constant support of Brock and pikachu at his side. Ash wasn't even the one dating her, and yet _he_ needed the most reassurance. How pathetic.

Since first seeing her, he decided that this wouldn't, couldn't happen. Not to Misty. Something was wrong. If he had to move heaven and hell, he was going to _fix this_. Ash was nothing if he couldn't find a solution to everyone's problem. He would find one for Misty, too.

Delia and Brock sat mostly in silence, reading short magazines and passing the job of gathering cups of coffee, while Ash stared in at her. Mentally, he obsessed over each movement. Each time her chest rose, then fell, when her right eyebrow would twitch, indicating that somewhere, deep down, she was _still_ alive. Still moving; that had to mean that she was okay—the doctors were reading the notes wrong. They _had_ to have been.

So, maybe it was his sleep-deprivation that later drove Ash to sneak into Dr. Theodore Rose's office, Misty's primary care doctor at the hospital. It wasn't hard. The doctor went for lunch at noon, and Ash told Brock and Delia he was 'going for a walk'. Pikachu remained with Delia at Ash's command, mostly so the rodent wouldn't try to convince Ash he was being crazy.

Clearly, Ash was the only non-crazy person around, otherwise, everyone would have been more on board to find a proper cure for their friend. _For Misty_.

It only took Ash a few minutes of riffling through papers, documents, and files, to realize he didn't know enough about medical terminology, or doctor-scribble to make heads or tails of the situation. Sniffling, he found one interesting note.

 _"Movement, such as twitching, is usually an early sign of nerve damage."_ Ash covered that note up quickly. It wasn't a sign of _nerve damage_ , it was a sign that she was still alive in there. _Somewhere_.

His heart lurched, stumbled, then roared at him the moment he threw the files across the room in frustration. It didn't make sense! He had to try something else! There _had_ to have been _some_ reason for this to happen! People didn't _die_ for no reason!

After a brief respite with his rage, he shuffled the papers he tossed, loosely back into the folder they were pinched in prior, and dropped them back onto the desk before stepping out of the latex scented hospital office. Once there, he was tasked with returning to the lobby outside of the ICU, to visiting her lifeless body for the next few hours until she finally...

Or, he could keep looking.

 **XOXs**

Ash chose the latter.Twenty five hours, no sleep. Ash was nauseous, aside from the few sips of water he managed, the rest of the food he tried to eat came up as a rancid, yellow bile that he threw up into the bathroom toilet, or onto the white roses at the front of the building. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her face. The way her plump lips were purple and shriveled, how her forehead was six colors of yellow and red; where her neck was bruised with soft tissue damage from the seat belt snapping against her flesh.

He could hardly blink without the image creeping into his mind, let alone hold down anything of subtance.

 _"She's not showing signs of improvement."_ The doctor told his mother when they thought Ash was out of ear-shot. Apparently, he wasn't _mature_ enough to handle the news.

They weren't wrong.

 _"If she doesn't improve within the next twenty four hours, I'm afraid she'll be-"_ It was right at that moment Ash decided he would find the answer himself. In his life, if he learned _anything_ over his time spent in ten regions, studying and learning about pokemon, it was that the world didn't operate at the scientific level they believed it did. Not everyone who was dying was supposed to die—he should know, he's been _dead_ twice! Each time Ash was faced with what should have been a ticket to the spirit world on a freight train, he survived.

Hell, Misty was stronger than him, there was no _way_ that she couldn't pull though—so he just had to find the reason _why_ she was staying so _long_.

Since Misty spent most of her waking hours working at the gym, Ash could only assume that the answers he sought would be there. Maybe some mystical creature interfered with the current events of the day, and was holding this against Ash as a lesson. Well, if they _wanted_ him to learn, he was learning alright; that the world was cruel.

Cerulean City was never as warm as Pallet Town; even though it was far from the coast, it had the same coastal chill to it that Lavender town held. If he recalled correctly, Misty loved it because summers were never _too hot_ to burn her skin, but _never too cold_ to have to wear anything but shorts. On his way to the gym, he never suspected that he would inevitably follow the same trail Misty followed on the day of her accident.

He rounded the same street corners, followed the same traffic lights, and stopped at the same fruit stand where...the damage had hardly been washed off the sidewalk.

Flowers were placed in multitude at the site beside the lamp post. The car that hit Misty head on knocked her vehicle out of the way, and then barreled into the side of the Cerulean City public library. The red bricks were crushed, thanks to the imprint of the vehicle, and clear skid marks were placed not from the car at fault, but from Misty's attempt to get out of the way.

It hadn't been _sudden_. Knowing her and her amazing reflexes, she probably saw it miles before it happened. Watched it in slow motion, prayed it wouldn't happen, and then it did. Ash wondered if it hurt, what her last thoughts were of. If she was _prepared_ , maybe even _ready_.

The other driver was twenty-nine, intoxicated beyond words, barreling at speeds of 60 miles per hour, and hit Misty directly after swerving into her lane. According to witnesses of the scene, he smashed into her, and continued barreling forward. The other driver wasn't fortunate enough to survive the initial damage; by the time he hit the library, the cops said he was likely already dead. When he swerved into Miss Waterflower's lane, he was probably already unconscious from the high level of blood-alcohol.

For once in his life, against everything Ash was ever taught, he _didn't_ feel sad that this man lost his life—if anything, Ash thought he got off easy. Because if he had done this to Misty, and still been around, Ash might have...

Ash put the thought out of his head quickly, knowing the lack of sleep was talking quite a bit louder than it should have as he traveled the distance to the gym without lifting his eyes to the sky. On the street, he still heard the gossips speaking about the ill-fate of their gym leader.

" _Something from a horror movie_." Was the coin-phrase Ash kept repeating in his mind. Everyone was in a panic, worried they would be struck by the vehicles involved, praising the gods they were spared on such a busy street.

 _This_ was the reason Ash hated cars. In eleven years, he had only been seated in one a few times. He believed people should only use trains, and buses, and public transportation. Since more and more citizens started driving in the last ten years, the rate of accidents increased every year. Couldn't people see that they were dangerous? Couldn't _Misty_ see that they were dangerous?

Arriving at the gym was bittersweet. Since his falling out with the red head, he had only stepped foot into it once. _Once_ , in an attempt to apologize that went too far-south.

Since he was a child, Misty completed some massive upgrading. She removed the large dewgong from the front of the gym, replaced the pink and yellow stripes in favor of green and blue. Installed a huge pool outside for experienced trainers whose attacks would damage the pristine imagine of the inside. Up until a few years ago, she still managed water ballets that he occasionally saw in secret when he was feeling brave—and less angry.

...Mostly to show up with some pretty _thing_ on his arm to rub Misty's nose in, and then leave without speaking to her.

Ash wasn't proud of that, but he wasn't proud of a lot of things right now. Mostly that he had been too stubborn to apologize in the first place.

When he moved to grasp the handles of the door, the metal hinges relieved a soft creak that made his ears twitch as he stepped inside. A blast of cold air hit him directly in the face, followed by the heavy scent of chlorine, and the bold lights of the open-dome ceiling she had installed. The windows were comprised of battle resistant glass that prevented shattering, but provided natural sunlight to beam down onto the main pool—providing a _magical_ first glance.

The entire gym was painted white. Long gone were the circus colored horizontal stripes and mismatched bleachers. The tile was of the highest quality ceramic, and the pool was filled with self-cleaning filters that kept a constant movement to avoid stagnation of the water.

In the last few years, Misty created quite a name for herself: she was undefeated, and her gym was labeled under the "master class" for water type trainers. If Ash was entering the Master Cup now, one of the Water Pokemon trainers he would have to beat in order to be eligible would have been Misty.

She was the self-proclaimed, top-rated Water Pokemon Specialist of the Kanto Region for years before they officially gave her the title last year. In the high corner of the gym, he could see the large scoring board that monitored the pokemon's health during the battle, next to a set of cameras that recorded and aired each of her advanced battles on television. The minor league matches she had with beginning pokemon trainers for the cascade badge were never aired; but according to her _humble_ interviews, they were the ones that she enjoyed the most.

Ash looked down at the pool, watching his wavy reflection stare back at him like a mirror, Misty was always _different_ , where she loved for people to know that she was _good_ at what she did, she _also_ enjoyed helping new trainers, guiding them down the right path to obtain their dreams. She sure helped Ash his first few years as a trainer, that much he knew.

With a repugnant sigh, Ash rubbed his hair beneath his hat, then adjusted said cap to clear his head. He wasn't _here_ to reminiscence, he was here to find an answer to why this happened to her. To find a clue on how to fix it, how to bring her back.

"What are _you_ doing here?" A deep, angry voice called from the high bleachers above Ash. The _Pokemon Master_ smacked his lips, venomous brown eyes turned to the culprit of the all-too-familiar voice and he clucked his tongue against the top of his mouth.

"I should ask _you_ that." Ash replied coolly, exhaustion removing any ounce of patience he had left in him.

 **Author's Note** :

Never realized I didn't post this chapter. I'm sorry! I uploaded it into my docX and forgot to post it -dies-. Next chapter will be posted in a little over 24 hours (because I have to wait that long before I can post again bleh)

Trying to decide if I ever want to give Misty's fiance a name/face other than what Ash sees him as: _complete garbage_. XD; Mostly because I don't know if there's an actual character in the show I want to throw under the bus, and also partially because I think it adds to the story in _some_ way. I DON'T KNOW, what do you guys think? If you have an idea on who you think it could be give me a reason, let me know!

Hopefully see you again soon.

~Updated weekly

NINT


	3. Ch 3: But I thought I should tell you

**Until The Day, Chapter 3**

The years spent after their fight were mostly in disdain and avoidance; Ash was bitter, watching her come to league parties with a new partner every other month; she, who said she would only date a pokemon master, seemed to have a lot of choices!

No, by himself, Ash intended to leave Misty alone, and spitefully send glares and jabs at her and her reputation whenever he had the opportunity; he was proud of it at the time, but then again, when he had finally obtained almost _everything_ he ever wanted only for the last piece of the puzzle to blow up in his face, he was _bitter_ , and malicious. Who wouldn't be? Ash was a successful pokemon master, with his goals and occupation fortified and respected. Regardless of _how_ he won the match, he was slowly becoming more and more appreciated because of his younger view and intense need to help the 'smaller' person, and the underdog trainers. Beside his complete relationship fails, Ash was in most ways, the pokemon master he always dreamed that he would be.

When he was twenty-two, he had a brief 'fling' with Dawn, who was another one of his really close friends, but as time and distance pulled them apart; the relationship dwindled. In Dawn's own words: "She never seemed good enough, and they're better off as friends". Ash never imagined he would fit the word 'fling' into his vocabulary until overhearing Dawn describe their relationship to her partner shortly after that; his long time rival Paul.

Ash wasn't upset by it, in a way, he tried to fill the void and lost friendship of Misty with hope that Dawn's optimism and support would make him feel hole again; in the end, he still felt empty; and by the end of the year he felt guilty, and twisted up inside.

When Ash started 'dating' Serena, it was after meeting at a league party when for once, Ash attended alone. For the last five or so, Misty was glaringly absent, and with only work acquaintances at the gatherings, Ash eventually found himself loitering outside of the facility, and kicking his feet along the concrete. Pikachu mentioned time and again, that things would _get better_ , Ash only had to apologize for his actions at the celebration party, but the stubborn trainer couldn't do that.

In his own way, he had rationalized that _he_ was the one betrayed by Misty's disloyalty and dishonesty. He waited for her, after all. Shouldn't she have done the same?

 _I'm not your property!_ Rang loud in his ears, and he held his head tiredly and leaned against the concrete railing; it was no intent of lust, or love; Serena happened to be there, and Ash acted as any broken man would.

Eventually, Serena moved back to Kalos, thus ending their three month relationship—not that Ash would have called it that. She mostly hung around his house, made him food, and if the mood was right... Regardless, it didn't work, and he only felt worse about himself. Serena was moving onto greener pastures, taking a role as a dance teacher at the extravagant Lumoise City University, Ash was still mulling over his victory, and soaking up the fame and fortune that came with it.

Ash was never huge on dating random girls—primarily because most of them seemed to be _fan girls_ that he would compliment as 'borderline crazy' on his best days. He tried dating friends, because friends knew him already—but even then, it wasn't the same.

From the time he was a young boy, before he knew what love was; he was dead set on the fiery red head of his childhood. It only took him seven years to figure out, then four years to mess up; he often wondered what life would have been like if he had told her that day, many years ago during his mother's Christmas party—but he kept those thoughts to himself. No one liked a complainer, and Ash was certainly not one of those.

No, Ash was set in his ways; making himself miserable. Brock was the gentleman who convinced Ash to talk with Misty; coached him on what to say, gave him advice, and gift recommendations. Misty was as stubborn as Ash; so Brock made sure that the Pokemon Master was prepared to beg, and Ash was. If not for her forgiveness, he was willing to beg for her friendship again.

He missed her more than he could verbally express; just the absence of their phone conversations and emails once a month were like repeatedly getting shot.

So at the beginning of May, a few weeks before his birthday, Ash traveled to Cerulean City after spending a fortnight at the Indigo Plateau working on a new scheduled for champions to battle trainers. Ash was set to return at the end of the week in order to set up a few sectors for 'pokemon camps' like the one he attended as a small child. However, Ash prayed that if things went well, he could happily cancel the meeting, and spend time with the redhead; better yet, he could bring Misty with him, and make things official.

After all, she was the top rated water type Pokemon Master in Kanto, it wouldn't be long before she took the title further, marking herself as the best in the whole league. In the last twelve years, Misty made progress that rivaled Ash's own success, they shared, after all, the same passion to become the very best at their professions.

When Ash approached the Cerulean City gym, he felt his blood run cold and his face flush. What in the world was he doing here? Misty would kill him—then again, if she was mad at him, it still proved that she cared; any other reaction would be the start of his worry.

The metal doors creaked forward, sending off a loud, clinking bell that would alert the gym leader that she had a challenger, and then Ash stepped onto the clean tile. She was in the middle of redecorating, the pool was empty, and the sign on the door clearly said 'closed for renovations' but Ash wasn't too keen on reading, and besides; he knew that she was here because her car was parked outside.

"Sorry, we're closed, you'll have to come back later!" Hearing her voice from the far end of the gym made his knees pathetically weak, and his entire body stiff. Anything, _everything_ Brock told him was suddenly obsolete when her foot steps turned the corner of the very long hallway that lead into the tanks for the pokemon. When she appeared, she was still dressed in her tomboyish attires—years of growing didn't change her fashion sense; plain, and practical. She wore spandex shorts, and a red tee-shirt that wasn't quite her size; in fact, it was a few sizes too big.

Ash didn't think too much of her shirt size, rather, he watched her finagle with her long, red hair; her best attempt to pull it up and away from her face.

Funny, she hated her hair long—at least, that's what he remembered.

"We'll be open again next week, if you would like, I can take your name and number and we can schedule you for a battle..." She rattled off her normal greeting, cracked her neck, but never looked up at the challenger as she cleared the floor to the desk at the front of the room.

"...Misty." Ash finally managed, cutting her short, and forcing her bare feet to stop with a squeak on the tile floor.

There he was, standing at the entrance, holding a bundle of flowers: her favorite colors of roses, and greens. His lips turned upward in a lopsided, worried smile, and his clothes as normal as ever. A blue blazer, matched with a black shirt, and blue jeans—aside from the distinctively missing hat, he was the same Ash as always; 'z' shaped scars and everything.

"...Ash." She muttered in pure shock, looking over his features. Surprised that _he,_ of all people, stopped in to visit. The last time they saw each other, he was throwing unprofessional jabs at her inadequacies in pokemon training.

Seeing him like this, gussied up, flustered, and _here_ , was terrifying.

Ash felt the same.

"Hey..." He squeaked nervously in his best attempt to start a conversation. Misty swallowed.

"Hey." She offered in reply like a statue.

For awhile, they stared in silence, embracing the awkward first meeting since their eruption a year and a half ago—so many things were left unsaid between them. What should have been congratulatory advances about their career choices and success, were hurtful, spared comments of detestation and...anger.

Recalling the memory, her sea-green eyes filled with a shocking fire, and she stomped her foot against the tile. Had she not been barefoot, Ash might have thought she would have cracked it.

"You have some nerve coming here!" She yelled at him, the discomfort and pain from their last visit resurfacing like a deep laceration. Ash didn't retaliate, his eyes didn't meet her same anger, and instead, he looked away from her, to the empty pool.

"...I know." he said.

Leaving his comment at that only infuriated her more. "What do you mean _you know?!_ " She screamed, marching towards him. The sharp, manicured fingernail pressed into his chest as she practically forced him to take a step backwards. The bright lights from the sun glared, blinding him for a moment when she shoved him once more.

"You don't talk to me in a year in a half, then you show up here with some half-baked answer! What the hell do you want!?" Her voice echoed down every hall of the building, and Ash fought the urge to rub his chest where her finger dug in; surely, there would be bruising later.

His brain wasn't functioning; while she ranted at him in a blurred rage; he couldn't make sense of her words or anger. Instead, he chanted to himself that anger meant she still cared, while he trifled through his brain, trying to recall Brock's advice. By the time any words formed at the end of his tongue, she had practically forced him outside of the gym one push at a time. He stopped at the door frame, and pushed back.

"I'm sorry." he interrupted her rage-driven rant, and finally made eye contact with her. "I know I've been an ass these last couple of...months... and I'm sorry."

"That's it?" Misty gasped, insulted. Confused, Ash's eyes filled with fear as she cornered him. She was always roughly the same height as him, but in the last few years, he had grown a few inches taller, and he had to look down the bridge of his nose to see her.

 _"Sorry?_ You think _sorry_ fixes all the times you publicly insulted my ability to battle—or the clear gossip you told our friends about me?"

"If it helps, I brought flowers?" He placed them in front of himself, between their two bodies where if she took another step, they would be crushed between them.

"I don't want flowers!" Misty screamed, rattling the windows. "I want an explanation!"

Then, when Ash flinched in fear of physical contact, fear that her anger was boiling over to produce another, long awaited slap, she stopped, and waited for an answer expectantly. She wasn't threatening him; she really _wanted_ to know. His breath hitched, releasing the very moment her scent danced through his nose and he looked directly into her fearsome eyes.

 _I loved you_. He thought, but the words cracked at the surface, a strangled noise emerging instead. Misty's head shook, unsure of his intentions when he tried again.

 _And I reacted badly, because you lied, and I waited for you, and I wanted you_. He tried to spit out, but fumbled over and over again, finally closing his mouth to reel backwards at the realization that he _was_ being a jerk. A jealous, outrageous jerk.

"I..." He started, but the words never came, however, she leaned forward, shaking her head in an _I'm waiting_ mock, and Ash sucked in his cheeks, then blew out a breath of air that forced her eyes closed. Before she could hiss at him for doing such a thing, he wrapped his left hand up, then around her neck and closed the seemingly small distance between them with his mouth.

Ash was _never_ the best at words; so he only hoped that what he couldn't say, would be reflected in his actions. Judging by the way she went limp in surprise, then seconds later when she clawed her fingers into his collar to vigorously return the kiss, he was fairly certain the message was received. For a short while: everything was alright.

Misty wasn't his first kiss, unfortunately, over the last year, he couldn't recall who he kissed first—Dawn sprang to mind, but he couldn't find the urge to care when she folded into him. Clawing hands turned into an embrace, and her body smashed against his, and his right hand which still clung to the colorful assortment of roses. First or not, she was the only one that felt _right_ after a year of sulking. Heat rose from her face when her lips parted and Ash's head angled to intensify the kiss; she tasted like burnt coffee, but it was wonderful. Ash struggled to move the roses from between them, never pausing for air when her body acclimatized to his own, and her fingers yanked at the roots of his hair.

It was right, it was _so right_. Everything that had happened seemed unimportant, and he finally had her back. No begging required; Brock was wrong.

Or...they were both wrong.

When Misty finally came to her senses, she all but pried herself off of Ash, but it was no easy task, since he still had a firm hold on her waist. Chest rising up and down, huffing for hair; eyelids lowered sinfully low, he gazed into her green orbs, then pressed his forehead against hers; which only made what Misty needed to tell him more difficult—she was stupid. This was _stupid_ , and she had half the mind to tell Ash so, if she wasn't also at blame.

His lips had found an endless perch on her neck, where he did not peck, or kiss or moan; but instead, he brushed his cheek against her neck and gnawed on his lip.

"I love you." He offered earnestly, garnering an intense sigh, nearly a whimper from Misty, that shot all of his nerves alive, and he was staring down at her once more; blinking worriedly that he said something wrong.

Then she was crying; not an ugly, croaking cry; but a silent, bitter shameful cry where her hands which had been nearly curled around Ash's body shot to her face disgracefully to cover her face.

"What's wrong?" Ash choked, unsure of what to do. Her tears streamed down her face, and a silent pant echoed through the empty gym when she spoke.

"I'm engaged." Her voice cracked, and suddenly, the bold, diamond ring on her left finger seemed to glare angrily at Ash.

He wasn't sure what to say; but his world, which was rebuilt, quickly fell apart. "What?" was the only response he could manage when she wiped her face, forced her tears to halt, and wiggled out of his grasp.

"That's why I've missed the last few league meetings." She explained, shakily exhaling.

Ash's response came a bit quicker this time, distraught. "You're not serious."

She winced, taking a full step back and looking away from him. Confusion fogged her mind, and she shook her head at him to clear it. _I am_ she willed him to understand, but Ash was the least understanding; in fact, he felt more crushed and insulted than he had a year and a half ago.

"Then why did you kiss me?"

"You kissed me!" She justified, but Ash was astonished.

"You kissed me back!" he argued.

"I didn't mean to!" she tried, but her voice wasn't very convincing.

Concerned, Ash bellowed; "That's not how it works!" his voice rose, Misty shook. "You don't accidentally kiss someone _like that_.." his voice trailed off sadly after a time, quietly and ashamed of his actions; of her actions, and mildly embarrassed. Her cheeks were flushed as red as his were and she bit her bottom lip.

"Ash, I'm sorry. I didn't know." She offered instead, but the wound only resurfaced. _She didn't know_. Misty wasn't stupid, she probably already put Ash's reactions together in her mind.

Ash shook his head. "Why wouldn't you say anything?"

"We stopped talking." _then again, love was blind_.

His heart snapped at her comment, and he groaned. "Great, my idiocy never fails, does it?" he said mostly to himself in a stubborn, mocking disbelief.

"Don't say that." She urged, approaching him, but he took a full step away from her. "Ash...why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Now, he was angry, if not deeply saddened, he couldn't show her that she actually _hurt_ him. "I tried, but you said that you would never date someone who wasn't a pokemon master!"

"I was like sixteen!" so she did remember the incident, the fact that she did only made him shake his head more as she explained; "I made that up so Dawn and May would stop pestering my about you!"

"Then why didn't _you_ ever say anything?" He shouted at her, watched her flinch then immediately regret raising his voice.

Her eyes danced away from his. "...I guess I was afraid to get hurt." she said after a time, verifying the truth that she _really_ didn't know that he liked her. Like Brock said, on many levels; she was as stubborn as Ash was.

"So you just moved on?" Ash muttered pathetically and Misty nodded slowly, unconvincingly; her voice was even less convincing.

"Yeah, I did." She offered halfheartedly. "We stopped talking...then after everything that happened and..."

"Misty, see, we have a chance to make it alright." Ash stopped her, stepping near her again, she shook her head.

"I can't,"

"You can. You said you like me; you can't marry someone else if you _like_ me." Ash verified stubbornly but Misty shook her head and squeezed her brows together for a correction.

"I said I _liked_ you. I...don't anymore."

A scoff escaped his lips, betrayed more by her response than if she had lied to him. "Don't worry, then. I'll just... Leave you alone." The he turned, stumbled only a little and choked back the tears. Ash was nothing if he didn't wear his emotions on his sleeve.

"Ash, you don't have to go; we can still be friends...can't we?" She managed.

Abruptly, Ash stopped—he couldn't face her when he shouted, throwing the silly roses he bought into the garbage bin beside the door and shook his head. "No, we can't!"

Then he stormed out of the gym, with a distraught and worried pikachu at his feet, chasing after him after a brief glance at Misty; catching what Ash didn't. The sudden default of tears that pooled out of Misty's eyes.

 **XOXs**

"You have some nerve showing your face here after that display you made in the hospital."

"Oh, right, because I have nerve when I punch you for cheating on my best friend, but you can still claim to love her even though _you're the reason_ she's in there." Ash grumbled, voice laced with hostile sarcasm.

"I am not!" he tried in his defense. "And some friend you are, she didn't even put you on the wedding invites!"

That was the wrong words, because the sleep deprived Ash wasn't hearing words, he was hearing hostility, and right now, he would have been okay drowning the cheating douchebag and hiding the body—which was intense, coming from Ash, who was generally friendly.

It was amazing what losing—almost-losing a friend could do to someone's mentality.

"Get out of here!" The bastard yelled at Ash, but he wasn't hearing it.

"No, _you_ better get of here!" Ash echoed. "You don't belong here anymore you piece of-" Ash stopped himself. "She broke up with you. YOU were the _only_ reason that she was out on the road that day completely distraught! YOU need to get your shit and leave!" Ash bellowed, throwing his fist up, prepared to fight.

Misty had a way of picking men, if they weren't borderline fruity, they were macho, and beefy; and Ash hadn't realized at the hospital, but he was built like a brick wall. Ash wasn't anything to laugh at, but in comparison, he was a noodle.

Had he been a little more aware of his thoughts, and his mind a bit clearer; Ash might have thought otherwise before picking a fight with the cheating-pile-of-beefed-up-stupidity. He cleared the stairs in seconds, taking two, three steps at a time to rush to the pull where Ash was staring timidly prior. His speed made Ash's head dizzy.

"You think because you're some kind of pokemon master you can do anything you want?" He stared down Ash, his eye swollen and bruised on the left side where Ash punched him the previous day. Ash scoffed.  
"You slept with her sister. What gives _you_ the right?" Ash couldn't, wouldn't back down. "She never loved you, anyways. She stayed with you, because unlike _you,_ she is a loyal and dear friend." Ash offered with a contrite, unbelievable confidence that only angered the adulterer. Had he thought about saying these things even a few weeks prior, he was convinced his tongue would fall off—but staring down the lecherous bastard before him, Ash knew how wrong he was to leave Misty alone with him for all these years.

This was as much his fault for leaving his best friend, as it was the brawn-for-brains.

"I'll make you regret saying that."

"Like you could." Ash scoffed in defiance before ducking, or at least _trying_ to duck his first swing. Had he been rested, he might have even stood a better chance; what he ended up with instead was a black eye, maybe a broken rib; and the cheap man's way out.

Before the fight ended, Ash kneed the cheater in his groin, then threw him outside of the gym, before properly locking the door behind him. He felt dizzy, his nose was bleeding; but Ash still had the advantage.

"I'm calling the police, so you better leave." Ash groaned, feeling like a pansy for the suggestion; he was never a great fighter, that didn't change just because he was older—what also didn't change was the fact that he didn't bring his cellphone with him from the hospital. He was totally bluffing.

"I'll kill you, Ketchum!"  
"Like you did your fiance!?" Ash yelled back, mostly talking trash; but it was all he had. He felt the door thud in an attempt to break them down, and Ash wondered how he expected to get through a fully metal door. Ash wasn't the smartest around, but _clearly_ Misty's ex-fiance was a _winner_.

Limping, Ash rubbed his face clear using the pool water and his jacket, and gave one last look to the entrance doors before beginning his ascend up the stairs. Another bang indicated that brute-y wasn't ready to leave, or find another way around, so Ash went about his business to find a solution to their problems.

Something must have happened that brought this on, and when Ash stumbled awkwardly though the housing portion of the gym to find her bed room, he was petrified to see that her things were already being packed up; sloppily, like a man's work.

 _He_ was already packing her things.

...what a... Ash stopped himself, urging the thoughtless cursing of his mind to sit quietly while he rummaged through her things.

After snooping for well over five minutes, Ash deduced that Misty, in the last year, was switched out with one of Gary's fan girls; because she only had frilly underwear, and work documents in all of her dresser drawers. Her closet was strung with an assortment of different clothes, but most important was the gleaming, torn wedding dress at the back of her closet door.

A flowering, beaded, white gown with a halter top; Ash only knew because his mother often dreamed of the day that _she_ would get married to the man of her dreams. Ash was only a child at the time when his father ran out on them—but Ash never forgot the twinkle in his mother's eye when she talked to him about weddings. Ash wondered if Misty had that same look in her eye, or if she held a look of discontentment that she long held for Ash the last time she looked upon this wedding dress. It was torn in a fashion that was clearly the angered redhead's work.

He didn't touch it, he _couldn't_. The idea that someone was willing to hurt her to that extent made his entire body throb—what was worse, was knowing that Ash hadn't done anything to make it better. If _anything_ , Ash continually made it worse. He should have stayed; begged, like Brock told him to.

When he searched the floor of the closet, he found what he was looking for; a box of keepsakes that Misty was storing. It was sealed with duct tape, but Ash plucked the box out, finding it rather heavy, when he placed walked it out of her room, and placed it on the kitchen table.

Inside were a plethora of treasured memories; her first trophy for the victory over the Elite Four, pictures of her success, her companions, her sisters, the gym; and while that was wonderful, and happy memories; they didn't _help_ Ash. At all. Nothing in here indicated foul play, or that she was being punished for anything; according to what Ash could dig up from around her house, she was an outstanding citizen. She took care of young trainers, participated in volunteer work, and helped out when she could.

Misty was, and always would be a good person at heart; so why now? Why her?

Ash twitched when he tugged at the last of the items in the box, until discovering at the very bottom; a box labeled "Ash", sealed with more ductape than he could have ever imagined. He plucked the shoe box sized container from the larger body, and brushed off the dust that had started to form, before kindly ripping at the duct tape.

Eventually, the box was left bare, and while a part of him felt guilty when he tore the lid off, another part of him felt a strange sense of fulfillment.

Pictures; scrapbooks, letters, badges filled his line of sight immediately; things that dated back to some of their first adventures together; until finally, falling on his original Pokemon League hat, tucked at the far end of the box. His lip quivered, looking down at the hat.

Ash _had_ wanted to give it to her years ago, but he was too stubborn. It was too _weird_ , and so he directed his mother to give Misty the hat, since she 'always wanted one', but lost out because Ash sent in over one thousand applications. When he was a kid, he never realized how torn up the hat became, marked with sweat that Misty had attempted to remove with some kind of brush, but stopped once she realized she would need to burn a hole before the stains would leave. Ash laughed under his breath, holding the small hat this his head now. It wouldn't fit even if he tried. He thumbed the bill, trying to imagine Misty's face when she received it so many years ago, and wondered if she knew that Ash wanted her to have it. He never _did_ tell her that, after all.

It was _too weird_.

Ash laughed at his own insecurities, and placed the hat back into the box, deciding he wouldn't find an answer here after all. He would need to check else where—his mind was on the library now, they had more than their share of pokemon, and that was near the accident; if Misty didn't cause her accident by bad karma, perhaps she was in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Only, when Ash turned after delicately putting her keepsake box back together, he was met with a drawn fist, and darkness.

 **XOXs**

Ash couldn't remember ever being in so much pain before. His head felt like it was on fire, his entire body twisted up like some kind of barbed wire; everything hurt. When his eyes opened at the glimpse of the sun outside, he tried to recall his last few conscious minutes; Quite distinctly, he remembered getting hit in the face with a loaded fist, and then nothing.

He felt the crinkle of news papers crunched under his body, and the distant scent of sewer—he was back in the city; but what time was it? The difference between getting knocked out and getting some rest, was becoming forced unconscious was like being awake with his eyes closed. Ash was more tired now than he ever was before.

Cerulean City gym, and picking a fight with beef-cakes-mc'cheats-alot was not one of Ash's best decisions, but at least he knew that whatever happened was nothing that Misty caused; which meant someone else was at play.

Here he was, beaten and bruised and his first thoughts of the day fell on Misty, who was only minutes away in a hospital bed; how comforting to know that she had such a devoted friend—only it was too late.

Maybe that's why he was so determined to save her; not only was a relationship between them null and void the very moment Ash stopped talking with her the first time, but their entire friendship ended with the events; because he was too selfish to admit he was wrong, and that _he_ was sorry. If it was possible, he would have liked to take back everything, every hurtful comment; but most importantly, he wanted to take back the fact they were no longer friends. He could live with her being with another man, if the other option was her being deceased, he would _gladly_ accept that she was in love with someone else; and he would still invite her over for Christmas dinners when her sisters were busy, and for birthdays because everyone but Delia forgot that her's was June 26. He would bring her to every event, support her decision and success; and most importantly;

Ash's eyes opened, facing the daylight outside with a very loud sigh.

He would be her friend again.

When Ash pulled himself from the alley way, assessed his injuries—they weren't _too_ bad; pea-brain probably kicked him a few times when he was down, and left him in the dirt here. Where ever here was...

Ash managed to rise to his feet after some effort, his head was spinning; but he still had work to do; there were a list of pokemon in the area he could talk with; visit, Celebi was among the time traveling pokemon; he could find celebi- that wouldn't be too hard right?

It wasn't like the last time he saw the pokemon was when he was thirteen, or anything.

Ash groaned; then there were the great pokemon of Hoenn, the guardians of the ocean; perhaps Lugia had some kind of... This was hopeless, everything was too far away, and situational; how was he supposed to call on godly pokemon? They were missing for centuries most of the time—and it wasn't like Ash wrote down their phone numbers!

Ash doubted everyhting. The more he thought about some 'chance' to bring Misty back, his heart leaped from his chest. More and more, the fog of denial lifted, and he wanted to _be_ at the hospital; with her if something...if she _passed away_. The least he could do after everything that happened between them would be there if she goes; and if not, be there when she wakes up.

Again, tears might have cornered Ash's eyes if he hadn't been so exhausted and tired already. His body had no more reserves to let out, so when he pushed off the brick wall to press forward, he did so with the intention, and understanding that there was nothing he could do...

As quickly as his mind has been made up, a golden light rained down before him, shining from corner to corner of the alley way, until Ash only saw whiteness.

"Ash, you've called for me?" the pokemon spoke, its voice carried like an angels, and Ash's eyes grew increasingly wider, hope filling into his chest where dread had taken root.

"...Xerneas?" Ash muttered, breathless, recalling the information about the legendary: L _egends say it can share eternal life._

 **Author's Note** :

That flashback was so angsty. xD; -shot-

Next chapter is a little more happy. ;w; -dies-

I'll try to get it posted right away, because I missed two updates -swears loudly-

Ergh, Mrs. Nose and I talk frequently about "soap like fanfictions" and this chapter was like, right on point. XD -dies-

Thank you for all the reviews/favorites/follows -hearts- I too decided to leave the fiance nameless was more of an impact; instead, I gave him Ash goggle description and names. Someone get that boy some sleep!

NINT


	4. Ch 4: I can put back all the pieces

**Until the Day, Chapter 4**

Ash wasn't sure if he was seeing correctly. It was too bright, and covering his eyes with his hands did not dim the blinding lights. The large pokemon moved closer to Ash, bowing his horns while the trainer groaned,

"You...can help me?" Ash grunted back, blinking while he stared, the light didn't seem to hurt his eyes like it should have, and while the pain was still there; hope masked it. Xerneas could help him?

"...To give life, you must understand life." the pokemon replied, earning a scrunched face from the trainer who shook his head back and forth.

"What does that mean?" Ash asked, he hated riddles, but it appeared that Xerneas had no intention of giving Ash and easy answer; rather, Ash felt a sudden spell of dizziness.

The feeling of falling washed over his entire body, tugged at every corner of his body while he drifted quietly into a new one; some place far, far away from the alleyway where he sat, and the glowing pokemon.

Instead, he faced what _looked_ like Misty. She sat on a lounge chair, flipping through a repetitive girl's magazine, and Ash blinked tiredly at her.

"Misty?" Ash called out to her, but she gave no reply other than the turning of a page. She inhaled, then exhaled, and looked upward at Ash. His heart thundered in his chest, and words tempted to fall out by the bundles. What could he say to her? She looked fairly upset, with her hair tied back in a side pony-tail; a fashion she let go of in her late... _teens._ Why was she wearing her hair like that again?

Suddenly, from behind him, Daisy, Lily and Violet walked _right through him_ , not around, _through_ him. The sensation of being hit filled his chest, and Ash shuddered while the three of them held fans and wore gaudy sunglasses. Misty wasn't glaring at _him_ , she was glaring at them! She couldn't see him! What was this? Where was he? _What was he seeing?_

 _"Xerneas?"_ Ash called out, expecting to hear from the pokemon, though only the sound of Misty's sisters talking answered.

"Misty?" He called to her again, but again, no reply and she settled back into her chair, and pursed her lips in that 'I'm not going to listen to a thing you say, but go ahead' way that only Misty could nail.

"You have some nerve, Misty. Like, we're gym leaders, too, you know!" Daisy's voice boomed, though her heels, miniskirt and crop-top in contrast to Misty's white one-piece swimsuit begged the difference of status.

Then Misty sighed, stood up and strolled to her sisters. Her best attempt at staying calm, and finally, Ash recalled what was happening. Misty _looked_ eighteen, because she _was_ eighteen. This was a memory! Ash vaguely remembered this. Misty had taken over the gym as the sole leader; but he didn't know her sisters were upset about it. Brock had mentioned once that Misty's sisters moved, but he never knew the reason.

"Well, you three, if you were part of the gym leaders, you would be doing your share of the work..." Misty started logically, but Lily butt in.

"No way! You're just greedy and ungrateful!"

"I am not!" Misty hissed, moving forward with a scowl and stomping her foot. "You three have been taking money from the gym and I can't make money if you keep spending it. I'm tired of not getting any help around here!" She shrieked in frustration.

"Then maybe _you_ shouldn't be the gym leader if you can't handle it." Lily cooed angrily.

"Hey!" Misty snapped, shooting from her chair to point directly at Violet. "I wasn't the one that called and _begged_ me to come back, now was I?! If it wasn't for you, I could still be-" Misty paused, reeling back and smacking her lips. She didn't need to defend herself, Misty's statistics the last few years in comparison to her sisters spoke loud enough; Misty was the only reason the gym was still open.

"The point is, I can't afford to take care of you three and run the gym. You need to learn to take care of yourselves and have some responsibility at some point." Misty pressed her hands together. "So don't make a big stink over this."

The request fell on deaf ears, and her sisters were furious. "No, Misty, this is too far; you can't just do whatever you like!" Lily shouted ignorantly, throwing her hands up.

"We just came by to, like, let you know we took our stuff. Have fun running the gym on your own!" violet snapped while Misty took an appropriate step back and winced with her face screwing up. The redhead looked up at Daisy who had remained quiet through the worst of the argument, though looked away shamefully and Ash watched as Misty's head hung low, her face paled, and she fell backwards onto her lounge chair with a defeated sigh. Misty's hands tangled into her hair and she breathed, looking up at the sky.

She looked so beaten, so tired and _old_ at such a young age, he had no idea she went through this break up with her sisters. They always had a rocky relationship, and even though Misty claimed she and her sisters didn't get a long; she loved them... Watched her tired face, Ash reached out to her when she suddenly lunged forward and threw the magazine she had been holding into the pool and screamed violently in frustration, startling Ash who watched his best friend tear up in anger.

"I don't need you anyways!" Misty finally bellowed back at her sisters, turning to where Ash had been standing. He took an unsteady step backwards, and exhaled bitterly while she swallowed, and fell back down onto her seat.

"...Misty.." He tried, though the very moment he touched her shoulder and blinked, when his eyes opened again; he was standing in his kitchen, holding onto Misty's shoulder who was sitting at the kitchen table, holding and ice pack to her head.

"You stay so busy!" Delia's voice cracked into the silence, smiling happily at Misty who groaned at the loud woman. "I can't believe you had time to come and see me after all. I heard the gym was going through some big changes, that you're finally taking on students!" Delia clapped watched Misty smile beneath a pained expression.

She removed the ice pack, placed it onto the table, and leaned backwards.

"Yeah, thanks." Misty hummed, looking on the kitchen window. A small silence tapered in between the two of them. Ash had no idea what he was seeing, or why he was seeing it. He didn't know Misty stopped in to see his mother normally, or _ever_ if he wasn't around.

"You still haven't made up with your sisters yet, then?" Delia questioned warmly and Misty offered a taut shrug.

"It's been a year and they haven't talked with me, I think they're past making up." Misty growled, sipping on the glass of water Delia placed before her, then took a seat. Delia tucked her hands below her legs and then smiled at Misty sweetly while she tapped her foot.

"I'm sure he will be here any minute. He _always_ comes home after the end of a league." Delia spoke quickly, breaking the tension, Misty exhaled. Ash saw on the clock that it was already a quarter after nine, and felt his stomach twist.

"...No, it's okay. I'm going to go home." Misty rose from her seat, shoulders a little lower than they should have been, a little more wilted than she normally was. Her hair was down, cut short into a bob and she smiled at Delia.

"Well, I'm sure that-"

"Delia... really, it's okay... just, I'll see him...later." Misty muttered, smiling a forced smile at Delia. Delia didn't return the sentiment, instead, she stared on with a frown.

"...Drive safely." Ash watched while his mother's eyes fell to the floor, flipping the ice pack misty held against her head between her fingers and exhaling quietly as Misty moved to leave.

"I will." Misty tossed back thoughtlessly while she exited the house, looking up at the dark sky.

It was winter in Kanto, and since they were so far south, snow wasn't as common. Ash remembered this year, because the year when the snow reached Misty's knees was the same year he won his first league. He never told his mother, that the reason he couldn't fly down was because of the storm; but he vaguely remembered partying with the rest of his companions after the victory of champion, the first win that would make him eligible for the Master's cup. It was the beginning of the rest of his life, and he was celebrating it a million miles away.

He never called.

Ash didn't even know that Misty was there, or _why_ she was there. Well, he could imagine _why_ she was there; Ash just won the league; she probably wanted to send her congratulations. However, he questioned why she just didn't visit him at the league, instead of waiting at his house. She could have called him, or sent a letter; or even _met_ him there, yet, here she was, trudging through knee deep snow, back to her vehicle parked near the train station.

Ash followed her, his incorporeal body skimming through the snow while she struggled, swearing under her breath the entire way to the station. She was so _angry_ and upset; it couldn't have just been because of him, could it?

"Why am I always the one going out of _my way?_ " She grunt, confirming his suspicions.

"You weren't." Ash replied, though knew it wouldn't make a difference.

"Would it kill anyone else to visit me? No one notices when _I_ succeed!" Misty snapped, kicking some snow off her heels while she stepped onto a clear road. She inhaled bitterly, her blue car only a few feet away from her while she flicked strands of her hair out of her face.

"Why wouldn't you say anything to me? I'm sorry you felt this way, Misty." Ash asked bitterly, when suddenly she turned around and faced him; eyes cold.

"Not since you _left_." Misty hissed, seconds before Ash's stomach felt sick and twisted, and he fell to his knees, clutching his stomach while the scene changed; the sound of euphoric music danced in the background while he looked up to see that they were at his celebration party now; only _after_ the _accident_.

Ash remembered staring at her for the rest of the night, almost willing her to have a horrible time; never knowing that she actually had. She sat near the water fountain; tongue in cheek and mind raging. After everything she went through for them— _him_! They were supposed to be friends, and _this_ was how he treated her after a years of absence? How asinine! Ash could see it now, the spite decorating her face; years now since her sisters left, more since Ash last visited, and twice as long since she left him originally. Sometimes, age turned us into wonderful, matured people; but all age had turned Misty into was a bitter woman.

And bitter woman didn't always play _nice_. Georgio, who spent the majority of the party walking around, flaunting his personality made Ash sick; to think that he and Misty dated made him queasy even _now_ ; Ash remembered that originally, watching them made his stomach churn; now, he wanted to scream apologies at her until her past could understand them.

"Do you think that maybe you should explain to him that we're not dating? You know, so you can hang around your friends again instead of sulking over here?" Georgio asked, handing her a glass of wine that she smacked out of his hand. The room didn't flutter, or stagger at her outburst, no one noticed her rage. No one cared. Except for Ash, who was forced to watch her, and himself and _his friends_ go about the party as if nothing happened. _Now_ , he felt the dagger in his stomach turn. All of this started over a misunderstanding.

"If he's going to act like a spoiled brat then he can act like one! I'm done catering to them!" She yelled quietly, Gerogio flinched and took a worried step back.

"Sorry... I just don't think you should let this get to you so much. I'm sure if you explained it would blow over..."

The fancy wine glass she held cracked at the base from her grasp and she exhaled pridefully. "I don't _want_ it to blow over. I don't want _any of this_." her hateful gaze fell on Ash who laughed happily alongside Dawn, and Brock and Serena, and his _friends_ , all of theme except her.

"Clearly, he thinks he's doing great without me; _obviously_ he doesn't need me." She spat, venom in her tone. "So if he wants to be a jerk, he can be a jerk. I'm tired of _waiting_ for _people_ who are _supposed to_ be my friends." She inhaled through her nose, then exhaled through her mouth then released her wine glass from her grasp and then looked at Georgio politely, calmly.

"...Actually, I think I'm just going to go." She shrugged her shoulders, waving slightly to the flamboyant man who's chipper personality washed into uncertainty andw orry.

"Wait, Misty, don't do this; some times things happen between friends."

"Right, like calling each other. _Please_ , we haven't been _friends_ for a long time and I..." her eyes turned to Ash, not his past self, but _him_ , watching her reaction with an a gape mouth as she looked to the ground sullenly.

"I don't _need_ them." She said confidently with a broken heart when she looked at Georgio who could only spare his deepest sympathies with an earnest, brave apology.

"I'll see you around the gym sometime, okay? Take care and thanks again for coming with me. It really helped me see more clearly." Misty said with a forced smile as she turned, heels clicking against the fancy concrete and heading directly toward the exit through the garden.

Ash's heart fell into his stomach as he ran after her. "Wait!" He called, though his voice left no echo, no sound in this _memory_. "I need you! I do! Brock needs you, your _sisters_ need you! We're friends! _Misty!_ I'm sorry!" Ash yelled, ignoring Misty's own blind stubbornness. She couldn't hear him though; that opportunity had passed.

Both reacted terrible, they should have _both_ apologized back then—said something to one another, been the _friends_ that they were supposed to be... yet, he let her walk out of his life, not once, but twice.

"Don't leave!" Ash yelled into the abyss while darkness swallowed her. It was _funny_ how little an apology meant in hindsight. If Ash could have, would have known, or saw... he might have reacted differently; but it was true. They, _he and Misty_ , outside of the occasional 'hi' didn't talk, _not really_ , before that moment at the party. What kind of friendship was that?

Ash's knees felt weak, and his chest _hurt_. " _I'm sorry_ , _okay_? _I'm sorry_." Ash mumbled into the darkness that swallowed him up; absorbing all of the bright light that formerly blinded him. For a moment, when silence danced around his collapsed body; he thought he would finally wake up from this nightmare, from these _memories_ that only reminded him how long and harrowed their past was; outside of the _fights_ , the arguments, they had _problems_ far greater than either would have ever admit to. Problems that they should have worked out, not because _he liked her_ , but because they were friends.

Ash shuddered, feeling tears pull at the corners of his eyes, but in his current form, he could shed no tears; feel nothing but his own soul ripping his guts to tiny little pieces, and so when he looked up to see her seated on a bench outside, he wondered if he was _finally_ given a break.

Then she sighed, and looked up at him— _past_ him.

"Misty." The dark-blond woman called to Misty, stepping through Ash's figure while she approached the redhead. Serena's voice was muddled, a little disoriented while she shifted the pink hems of her dress, and fished the frills to the side while she approached Misty, who sat in a slim fitted, A-shaped emerald green gown. Ash remembered that gown, only because it was the last gown he ever saw her in at a league party.

"Can I talk with you?" Serena asked, clearing her throat. Misty shrugged.

"Sure." Misty smacked her lips together. "Did 'ya want to add into your _boyfriends_ little tirade of immaturity and mash my name into the dirt a little more with a little song and dance?" She asked sarcastically, a small smile playing on her red lips and Ash had to cover his face in shame. Ash never _intentionally_ spoke ill about Misty; _sometimes_ it just slipped out when he would see her, _away from him_ happy.

"...No." Serena hummed, faced lowered. "Ash...he isn't my boyfriend." Serena sighed, "but that isn't the point; I just—whatever happened between you two, you should talk about it." She offered but Misty waved the blonde off while standing up.

"Friends grow apart sometimes, it happens." Misty assured Serena once she was sure the female wasn't going to hassle her.

"Right, but they don't _avoid_ each other and insult one another constantly." Serena scolded with a slight scowl—nothing that rivaled the tomboyish mermaids perpetual scowl, however. "You know. I _don't care_ what happened; but I _do_ care about Ash and he's only like this around you." Serena declared. "So why can't you two work it out like normal _people_?"

Well, mostly because Ash and Misty weren't normal. Their friendship was _never_ normal. In fact, many people would have argued it was borderline toxic, _abusive_. Misty, knowing what she knew now, wouldn't argue with that.

"Whyyyyy, don't _you_ mind your own business?" Misty chirped, shrugging her shoulders hostile. "I don't _need_ Ash anymore; we haven't been _friends_ in a long time; I've out grown him. He's out grown me. Let it go." With that, Misty hotly turned, flicked a wrist at Serena who folded her arms unhappily while Misty stalked off, back to the last party she would attend simultaneously with Ash. His heart bled; he didn't know Serena tried talking with Misty here, too. Back then, she opened the night by talking with Ash about the same issue.

Ash never said he outgrew Misty, just that he was _busy_ , and in a _better place_. Ash could do what ever her wanted now, and he could battle, and train, and with his title, he had a ton of research opportunities with different regions. Simply put, he had no intention of letting his grudge go; not until she apologized first. It was silly, and _stupid_ and Ash knew that _now_ , but back then; he thought his anger was justified, that his grudge was _normal_.

It wasn't, and apparently she was as equal parts stubborn as he was.

Knowing that she held the same grudge against him, for no reason other than pure, stubborn pride; he felt a wash of guilt cross into his pained chest.

Misty was going to die thinking he hated her, that they weren't friends; that he abandoned her... His body felt icy coming to terms.

 _Misty_ was going to _die_.

But the memories weren't over yet; not until Misty was sitting in a hospital room; wearing a gown, and looking sicker than the normal-peppy Misty was. She held her phone in her hand, texting to her _lover_ her _fiance_ that she was in the hospital—but more notable was her apparent distaste and anguish that she was here in the start.

Ash never asked how the two of the met; Brock told him that her fiance was the lawyer who defended the gym, and Misty against the lawsuit that Misty's sisters tried to poach the gym with. They didn't know each other for very long before deciding that _he was perfect_ , or maybe she was just really lonely?  
Regardless, they moved fast. He brought her flowers, complimented her even when she wasn't dressed up, and was _always_ there.

At first, anyways.

What started as a simple fling blew out of proportion; Misty missed a few league parties for the trial, and during that time, somehow ended up engaged; if Ash's memory was correct. It wasn't _just_ the engagement that prevented her from showing her face, it was the reports circling around her leadership as a gym leader, as well. Her sisters hurt her reputation, but luckily, her reputation was solid; and her soon-to-be husband played a large role in that. The night after _Ash's_ last meeting with her which ended in discarded roses, Misty made the public announcement that she was engaged.

During the interview announcement, while _he_ , her fiance seemed engaged with the conversation and excited, Misty seemed distracted during the conversation, almost like she wished she could be anywhere else.

Yet, instead of seeing _happiness,_ seeing her smiling about their relationship; he watched her sit and type, and groan in a small, private room. Ash _couldn't_ be sure, but the way her hand clutched her stomach; he knew that severe pain coursed through her lower abdomen while she chewed a hole through her bottom lip. Ash wanted to reach out to her, to ask if she was okay; but he knew better by now, and merely sunk to the corner of the room, and waited for what this memory would show him.

When the doctor walked in to take a seat beside Misty, she grabbed the redheads hands and offered a very sincere smile. A moment of silence passed, introductions were passed, and then the doctor started speaking.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but you have..." the doctor pointed to the sheet, and Ash watched Misty's face turned green. "...We'll start treatments right away, but we will need to run some tests for internal damage." the sentence hung in the air between them while Misty tried to wrap her head around what she had just been told.

Rage seeped into Ash's chest, watching a shocked Misty read through her fuzzy mind at the papers being handed to her; she _never_ saw or _knew_ he was cheating on her until... _oh my god_.

As if reading Ash's own blind fury, the scene fragmented to a matching Misty, who threw objects at mc-cheats-a-lot head, and followed a barely-dressed Violet around the gym floor. Misty's hair was quite a bit longer—her image reflected close to what it was at the hospital; only _neater_ and _prettier_ and...not so bruised and beaten.

"I'm sorry, I won't do it again!"

"You said that last time!" Misty cursed his name, launching a lamp at him while he ducked, moving away from her.

"You _slept_ with my sister you _fucking_ pig!" she screamed. "You cheated on me again!"  
"It was just this"

"Get out! _Both of you_!" Misty screamed, slamming the door closed in their faces. Ash remembered the mess that he saw in her house; and her sudden, blazing anger reflected much of that while the redhead finally cracked, and tore open her bedroom door, and raced to the closet where she ripped open her dress and folded the fabrics between her fingers.

 _Happy_ , she _was_ supposed to be happy.

 _But it was impossible to be happy with a grudge, with embedded, unnecessary hatred an conflict_. Misty growled with quivering lips before she pulled on the dress, tearing it down the center, ripping out the careful stitching, and beads, _everything_.

"Misty, stop!" Ash screamed at her; he couldn't stand it; seeing her this way. He never thought that this was the moment, following her crowning moment dictating her as the Master Cup's Water Pokemon Master, that he would get phone calls from her; angry, anguished. But his words did nothing, and she jumped from the bedroom, to her invitations, and started ripping them to tiny little pieces. Tears swelled at the corners of her eyes, followed silently by her sobs until she couldn't see straight.

"Stop! I don't want to see this!" Ash screamed, covering his ears and shutting his eyes. He _knew_ Misty had happy moments! She was friends with Erica; she made public news announcements; she was reigned and adored as a gym leader, and was _friendly_ to people. Ash saw it, he _heard about it_ and he remembered that he _hated knowing_ that she was so happy.

Of course, there was a face for everything; but Misty's life was nothing different. Only now, he wanted her to _be happy_ , to have happiness; to feel joy, and goodness, and damn it; what was _wrong_ with them that _dying_ was the only eye opener they had. _He left her_ , and she _left him_.

At least, together, they made truly a terrible pair.

When Ash finally had the courage to open his eyes again, he was sitting beside Misty in her car; listening to the sound of music droning quietly in the background while she stared into the intense, dying sun.

She called him a few times; called _everyone_ , _anyone_ that would listen to her.

 _Ash, this is stupid. Let's not fight. I'm sorry._ Was the message she left last on his phone. He thought it was a trick. Some kind of joke that she would finally apologize especially after a few messages of blind rage being poured out over the receiver.

However, her phone was dead on the dashboard now, hidden by the suns early rays, and she exhaled quietly.

"I guess it's better this way." She said to herself. She had no one she had to please, or rely on; hell, she didn't even look _surprised_ that she was here. This was bound to happen; but it still hurt. It put things, ideas, interests, situations; _everything_ into perspective. Humans were stupid; _she_ was stupid, and this entire situation sucks. So she thumbed her phone and willed it to turn on again, so she could apologize to her friends—even those that didn't deserve it. Even Ash.

"I just wanted my own life..." She sighed, rubbing strands of her hair out of her face. Ash watched quietly while she exhaled, and turned the engine on.

Ash realized right away what he was watching _about_ to watch while she turned over the engine, and shifted gears into drive. His breath left him.

"Misty, don't!" he yelled, trying to stop her; he reached for the steering wheel, but his hands fell through it. "Don't drive, it's okay; no one hates you; just... Don't!"

they turned the street corner where Ash knew the accident would happen while Misty slowly smiled, accepting what this was, what was happening. She could only get better from here.

But Ash couldn't watch.

"Don't make me watch this!" He screamed, covering his eyes long enough for time to stop. At first, he didn't realize until his pounding chest became the only noise in the area, and he turned to watch her eyebrows knit; she made eye contact with the driver ahead of her, and his stomach lurched. In his best attempt, Ash tried to grab her, _move_ her. _Anything_ , but when that wouldn't work; he looked around. Maybe, if he _changed_ something, he could still save her.

Ash slipped out of the car with the intention of using the frozen time as his advantage to find her safety; but the moment his sneaker touched the concrete; breaking windows and fracturing car parts echoed through his ears and he spun around and screamed; though his voice was masked by the clear destruction surrounding him. His ears rang and he shook his head in disbelief, blinked his eyes while a piece of shrapnel flew through his transparent torso and he whined grievously.

"Why would you should me this?" Ash asked to no one in particular as the scene unfolded, the way the people in the news papers described.

"Do you still think you could have saved her?" Xerneas' voice finally answered Ash's call. The boy spun to look for the godly pokemon, though he was faced with nothing but the chaos on the street.

"Yes!" Ash answered immediately, _of course_ he could save her. He was Ash frickin' Ketchum!

"She was self-destructive, prideful. What difference could you have made?"

Ash threw up his arms. "Stop with the mind games!" he screamed. "Can you help me or not?!"

At his demand, Light engulfed Ash once more, and the pokemon master flinched, covering his eyes.

"As you wish." The pokemon chanted. "I will restore to you, _her time_."  
"And what do you want in return!?" Ash screamed back, though no answer came as he felt his entire body go numb.

 _Your life_.

 **Author's Note** :

NEXT CHAPTER is happy though. Happy-ish, for sure.

Sorry if you feel like this is angsty; it comes with the territory; can't please everyone!

Explaining the 'lovey-doveiness'(?) of Ash thus far; I wouldn't say he's lovey-dovey as much as he is devastated and unable to accept what has happened. _Needing_ to save a friend is not synonymous with 'lovey-dovey'. Plus, DERRMAAA.

I decided to leave whatever 'disease' Misty contracted a mystery. Much like the fiance's name.

A huge apology for having this up late. (I got a new job that has been eating up a lot of my time) I've had the chapter written for awhile, but I, well, her reasoning/the flashbacks which I originally liked a whole lot didn't make a lot of sense, they all seemed like mediocre things; so I wrote it as if Misty was getting in the way of herself. Just going to post the chapters as I finish them up today. So hopefully will get two or three up for the few weeks that I've missed.

I've also been super focused on Locked Away as of late. I have some obscure idea to finish it before September 9. XD;

THANK YOU for all the love this short story is getting. -hearts- thank you thank you thank you.

NINT


	5. Ch 5: They just might not fit the same

**Until the Day, Chapter 5**

They were kids still when Ash realized it, at least, partially.

They were off some barren hole in the ground forest in the middle of Johto, with Misty complaining that Ash got them lost _again_. He was known for that—why did she always complain about it?

He couldn't forget because it was a week before the Johto Silver Conference, and they were _lost_. Misty was convinced all of Ash's work was going to be for naught because they were never getting out of this _bug-infested forest_! Though, Brock tried to assure the redhead that they would arrive at their destination safely, they just had to take a few _detours_ thanks to Ash's special ability to find short-cuts that were never really short cuts.

"Misty, stop whining; no one likes a complainer." A thirteen year old Ash groaned.

"I am _not_ complaining, Ash. We're stuck in the middle of a dark forest, with no food, or water. I'm the only one being _reasonable_ here!" She argued, though it fell on mostly deaf ears. Neither Brock, Ash, togepi or pikachu were going to be the ones to tell her that _was_ complaining; instead, they kept the comment to themselves, and decided to press on.

If they kept heading North, they would eventually find a town, or a road, or _something_ that they could use as a place marker on their map, and then find their way to the conference; easy as pie!

"Getting lost isn't too bad," Ash said, "Maybe if I'm lucky I'll be able to catch some pokemon!"

"Maybe if you're lucky you'll be able to catch one with a GPS." Misty muttered sarcastically, glaring at the back of Ash's head.

Alright, that was it! He has had it with her constant complaining, and whining and judgmental personality; and he was going to tell her as much when the ground suddenly gave out, and they were falling. The three of them screamed, falling into the pit of a dark hole, dug most likely from their favorite three villains.

"Why would they dig a hole this deep in the forest?" Misty groaned, collecting togepi into her arms and rubbing her shoulders and head which had landed hard against the soft dirt. Brock sat up, groaning and looking at his young companions dirty faces—courtesy of the soft dirt, they looked like mud people.

Ash caught on as well, snickering gleefully. "Hey, Misty, look; you finally got that mud bath to help with your stress lines."

Then she punched him in the shoulder, and while he was wincing in pain, he muttered a painful _worth it_ under his breath. A few moments ticked by while they each pat the walls of their containment n exhaled.

"Man, where are they so we can get out of here?" Misty sighed, rubbing her knees to clean them of dirt, but nothing came off. In the end, they waited a total of thirty minutes before deciding that Team Rocket were _indeed_ not behind the hole, and so the group started their best attempt to climb out.

Courtesy of the size, they were unable to summon any more pokemon, and thanks to the fragile dirt, they couldn't climb up without causing a cave in. Brock insisted they wait until day break before trying to finagle a way out of the hole; but Ash and Misty groaned so much about being to close, an Misty have cooties, that he eventually decided they would climb each other like a ladder, and whoever gets up there first, will summon bayleef to use vine whip to get the rest of them out. Brock was the brains of the original trio, Ash was the brawn, and Misty was the voice of reason; sometimes, depending on the situation; that stipulation would change. _A lot_.

"Ash, I am not carrying you on _my shoulders_ , you're too heavy!" She whined, but Ash puckered his lips at her cutely.

"This coming from the girl who can swing a mallet like it's a butter knife."

"That's _different_. You're like what, 200 pounds?" She gestured to his size, and Ash's face flushed.

"Are you calling me fat?!" He yelled, which, at his 4'6 size, he might have been with her suggestion. She snorted under her breath, but before a full fight could emerge, Brock shouted at them.

"Enough! Ash, climb on my back, then Misty, you go up!"

Ash rolled his eyes. "Fine." he grunted, handing bayleef's pokeball to Misty before abiding by Brock's command. He boosted himself on Brock's back, then after helping Misty up, much to Brock's discomfort, he awkwardly boost her shorts-wearing, crop-top totting companion to the lip of the hole, and she crawled to the surface; actually being extra sure that she didn't hurt Ash or Brock on her way up.

"Did you make it?" Ash asked, hopping off of Brock's back so he could whine silently about how heavy they two of them are. No reply came, which only resulted in a swift panic.

"Misty?" Ash called up to her. He was always quick to anger, but even quicker to panic. Seconds later, green vines lowered into the hole, and Ash exhaled happily. Once they were out of trouble, they gratefully prepared camp, and decided to sleep for the night—about a mile away from the sink hole, of course; they didn't want to fall into a hole while sleeping.

They didn't talk after the fact, Misty didn't even have it in her to complain about sleeping in a bug infested forest _again_ when they made camp. As usual, they each had their own tasks; Brock started to prepare the meal, and Ash and Misty would search for fire wood. Togepi and pikachu would help Brock cook; which was another way of saying: they ate first.

"I can't see..." Ash muttered to himself, stepping over large branches, and collecting the small ones; a few feet away, he could hear Misty doing the same. Since they started traveling together three years ago, she had changed a lot: while she didn't like bugs, she wasn't scared to get firewood on her own in a dark forest anymore.

...Ash would have to change that. A malicious thought came to mind when he turned from his trek into the forest, and towards the sound of Misty's feet pumping through the dirt. He could see her figure mostly, the trees blocked most of the light of the moon, but occasionally, he could see the flustered look over her cheeks while she kicked dirt to be sure it wouldn't collapse. Ash grinned; Misty was nothing if not cautious, and it would her cautiousness that would be her downfall!

Ash silently ducked and weaved his way to her, until she was about half a foot away, and he was ducked behind a wild berry bush that Misty was picking through. She had a bundle of wood under one arm, and filled a pouch attached to her suspenders hook at her waist.

Against his better nature, Ash fought the urge to snicker as he congratulated himself for such a well thought out plan, he was going to scare the socks off of her! He would likely pay for it later; but here goes!

He stood up, right as Misty looked away from the bush, shuddering aggressively when the subtle, hairy limbs of a small caterpie touched the skin of her ankle. Immediately, she fought the urge to scream, and kick, and flail, and swallowed down her intense panic when the pokemon's antennas twitched cutely up to the water pokemon trainer. She remained frozen like a statue upon recognition that the pokemon was expecting Misty to _share_ her berries with the creature; and she fumbled with her bag, then dropped a few on the ground beside her feet. _Just leave!_ She thought terrified and flicking her wrists in all directions.

As the pokemon ducked and leered away from her it buried its snout into the few berries she dropped for him, though, when the small flicker of moonlight danced over the pokemon's skin, she gasped.

"Oh, you're hurt." She said aloud, the pokemon easily ignored her, enjoying its feast, but it had a small wound fancied on its noggin, oozing a fresh purple substance.

Misty didn't like bug pokemon, she _hated_ them; but an injured pokemon was still an injured pokemon. She knelt beside the bug, removing a cloth from her pocket; then much to Ash's surprise, used the cloth to wrap around the small caterpie, and tie a loose bandage. Some place, in the darkest part of his heart, a thundering sounded; deafening in Ash's mind while he watched Misty, she who was petrified of bugs, patch up an injured one.

Thankfully, the pokemon looked up at her with large, black eyes, and she shrunk away, ruining the moment.

"Don't...touch me. _Please._ " she whined, and the pokemon did as she asked, turning away from her gradually, and slowly crawling away.

Quietly, Misty wiped her hands on her shorts; muttering quiet 'gross, gross!'s while a small grin formed over Ash's lips. Eagerly, she turned back to the bush, only to see Ash hovering behind it, eyebrows quirked behind his old league hat. She jumped, but she didn't scream.

"Ash! What are you doing, you creep!" She shouted, throwing a handful of berries at his face. He flinched to dodge them, laughing from his belly when he looked up at her.

"How long have you been standing there?" Misty cried in sudden distress, and Ash pursed his lips, cutting around the bush to pick up the firewood she dropped earlier; thus startling the redhead.

"Long enough." He chuckled.

"Long enough!?" Her voice was shrill. "Long enough to see that caterpie? You could have fed it!" She whined, but Ash knew she was covering for the fact, that even though she presented herself as this tough, she-woman; she was still sentimental, and soft on the inside; and that included things that she hated. Which meant somewhere, she probably liked Ash, too.

"C'mon Misty, you're not over your fear of bugs yet?" Ash joked, and she yelped, following after him.

"No! They're disgusting! And hey, give me back my firewood! You are not taking credit for my find again!"

"I'm not! I'm just trying to be helpful." He argued when her fingers clutched around the bundle.

"Give it back!"

"No! Let me help you!" Ash shouted, but Misty reacted by pulling harder.

"I don't _need_ help!" She offered, and then as quickly as they had started the argument, it ended when they lost their footing, and the wood flew in all direction around their heads, and both trainers ended up on the ground covered in mud again.

Awkwardly, they sat up. Ash's hat had fallen off of his head, and was covered in the forest's odd dirt, and Misty was officially a mud painting. They looked at each other while Ash readjusted his dirty hat. Silence faded over them, the raven-haired boy thought she would be upset when Brock shouted to see if they were okay, but then suddenly they were both grinning, the whites of their teeth glaring at one another, before laughter trickled out by the fruitful and they laughed.

It took him awhile, but apart of him always knew; in Kanto, the Orange Islands, the Whirl Cup; some places, _he knew_.

However, it was the smaller moments that taught him _why_.

 **XOXs**

When Ash won the Master's cup, it was to no ones surprise that it was an _accident_ a fluke.

Pikachu dodged what was supposed to be an unavoidable attack by _accident_ , and landed a critical iron tail that won Ash the match; the last battle.

However, today was no longer that case; Ash was no longer as lucky. When his eyes opened, he was reliving that moment; the way his rival's pokemon shifted, launched a terrifying beam of white light, and a falling pikachu curled, dipping into the moon-shaped crevice that was allotted only because the pokemon they fought hit the rock at the edge of a rock.

"I..." Ash's voice started, but the words never left his throat in the pure confusion that was left over in his brain; the memories, the sights, what he _went through_. _Everything_ was jumbled into his brain; and the command never left.

Pikachu never attacked.

 _Ash didn't win_.

The rest of the match was a blur, what was originally Ash's shock and surprise standing center field; a collapsed pikachu rested in his arms outside of the stadium. _He lost_. Was that all some kind of horrible dream? A _flash forward_ or something, that demonstrated what would happen to him if he became a champion? Was he doomed to fail forever?

No, it couldn't have been a day dream. It felt _too real_ , too _raw_ , everything he felt over the next four years couldn't have been imagined, not in the small time frame of a battle...

"And your winner is...!"

Ash didn't listen as he sat up, carrying a moping pikachu; but Ash shed no tears. This was the greatest defeat he experienced in his entire life. He spent months preparing for the Master's Cup; training every day, creating the perfect team with the combination and experience of all the pokemon he collected in his last eleven years of traveling. He was ready to become a Pokemon Master; but he messed up.

Only... _he didn't_.

"Misty..." Ash muttered quietly as his thoughts aligned. He abandoned the crowning ceremony, where he would have still been labeled runner up, with a huge cash prize. They could fax it to him later; he had _other_ things to worry about.

Non-too-surprising; Ash went to the hospital, carrying a tired, confused pikachu in his arms the entire way; ignoring his mother, and friends. Anyone who got in his way, and _ran_. They probably thought he was panicking, fearful of his lost; ashamed of it. No, he was _worried_. And he ran not for himself, but for her.

When he arrived at the hospital, he fished for a phone _any phone_ anywhere; and was connected to the Cerulean City hospital unit.

"Hello?" Ash was asked by the woman on the other end.

"Hi, can you tell me if there's a Misty Waterflower there?" He asked, his voice shaking.

"I'm sorry? Who? Misty Waterflower?" The receptionist asked, straining his nerves.

"Yes!" Ash screamed into the phone, patience gone—he had none left, his muscles were tired from what he remembered was left over from the battle, and while his mother, professor Oak, and Gary found him in the hospital, he exhaled.

"No... I'm sorry, we haven't had anyone check in under that name." the woman said, and Ash felt his soul leave his body in complete joy. His head fell backwards, the phone slipped from his fingers, and Delia approached Ash; hugging him.

"It's okay, Ash. You don't have to be sad." Delia cooed, stroking his hair. Ash wiggled away from him, brushing her hair from her shoulders while he looked back at his friends; the last time he saw his mother, she was tear stained, and looked _much older_ from stress. She was still happy, normal as could be. A grin tugged at his lips.

"I'm not." he declared, pushing away from her; how could he be? "Mom, what day is it?" He asked. "How old am I?"  
"..oh no, Ash; did you hit your head?" She wondered, pursing her lips.  
"Humor me?" he asked with a boyish charm and smile. Delia smacked her lips in a motherly fashion.

"You're twenty-one... Ash... please don't lose sight of everything." She swiped hair behind his ears and smiled. "You have plenty of years to challenge the master's cup again... So don't fret. Are you going to come home today? Maybe we can throw you a small party? It's the furthest anyone fro Kanto has been in _years_." the mother chuckled, but Ash was busy watching the light in her eyes, the red of her hair that hadn't faded to gray yet and grinning.  
Light entered Ash's eyes. He didn't know how Xerneas did it, he didn't care.

But he _did_ it.

"...I will." Ash said, looking at his friends, "But I have somewhere else I need to go first." Ash pat his mom on the shoulder, then ran past her quickly, exiting the hospital without a second thought while the group chased after him.

"Wait, Ash!" Delia screamed while Ash dodged and dipped into the street; then threw out charizard's pokeball.

When he emerged, it was clear that charizard was still tired from the battle prior, but Ash explained that he needed _to go_ _now_ and the pokemon nodded very slowly, and dipped far enough to allow Ash to sit on top of his shoulders.

"Ash where are you going?" Gary questioned, hands on his hips.

"It's a surprise." Ash grunted, patting charizard gratefully.

"One to many loses finally went to your head? Like you win streak?" Gary grinned, proud of his remark while Ash, giddy as he was, rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, Gary!" Ash groaned, glaring down at the young man.

 **XOX**

Misty was watching the match when he lost; she had popcorn, and was huddled in heavy, green blankets and cheering _conspicuously_ in her dark living room, seated on her green couch. However, she was trying to pick up the mess of popcorn around her, after she threw it up when he _missed._

He looked dazed, and confused, and lost, and he _missed_! He was on fire the whole match only to lose it the very last second! What in the world happened?! How could this happen!? Ash was supposed to be a pokemon master this time, she could _feel it_.

In frustration, she threw up her arms, pounded her fist into her phone, and dialed the familiar number of Delia's house, before remembering that Ash wouldn't be there; she had no way of _calling_ him directly, and right now—How _did_ he lose!? She had half the mind to march over there right now and give her a piece of her thoughts.  
"Ash! What in the world happened to you!?" She screamed, flopping against her couch. It was empty in the gym, closed for the night. The gym door was locked up, and she wasn't expecting anyone for the rest of the night; so while she settled in to watch a crappy horror movie, she did so nonchalantly.

Misty didn't put much thought at all into Ash losing. After all, he _did_ lose a lot more than he won, but he made it far enough his first time, for someone so young, that she would congratulate him when she saw him next—whenever, if ever that would be. She hummed to herself, keeping her blankets wrapped around herself tightly when an unfamiliar knock cam to her front door—not the gym door entrance, but the door at the ally way. The one _no one_ used.

"...Hello?" She called into the darkness, mortified. What if someone was trying to break in? Gulping, she slipped from her couch, grabbing what ever bat-like object she could fish out beside her coffee table and held it close to her person. No one replied, but she shouldn't have expected anyone to reply; who would answer to a 'hello' randomly from inside a house, especially a crazy person!

What if it was a crazy person!? She lifted the object in her hands, prepared to swing as she walked to her front door. The poor girl _never_ locked it, after all; who would mess with a gym leader? Misty, of all people in the world?

In fact, why was she scared in the first place? Being in the middle of the night didn't change how _amazing_ she was, she could take down whoever this person was! That's right, she was gym leader Misty. She could do this.

As she reached the front door, the impatient intruder finally kicked open the door to her living space behind the gym, and Misty jumped backwards and then swung with all of her might.

"Ow!" the intruder screamed while his body fell into the nightstand beside the door, killing an innocent plant on his way down and holding his head. Pikachu, who had mostly recovered since the battle fell with him, clinging to the collar of his shirt while Misty prepared to swing once more. Only, lucky for him, she realized who it was by the squeal of the mouse and she dropped her defensive position.

"Ash!? Oh my—What in the _world_ are you doing!?" She yelped, her worried tone quickly masked by complete fury at his utter incompetence! "What in the _hell_ are you doing here so late?!" She tacked on, dropping to her knees to check the injury she so neatly gave him.

He winced when she fell to her knees beside him, pawing at his head while he leaned onto his upper arms and whining that she hit _too hard_ and _what in the world_ was she swinging at bat at him in the first place?

Misty examined her weapon of choice. "It was a few rolled up papers to be fair..." She mumbled while helping him it up. It wasn't _just_ a rolled up papers, but she wasn't about to tell him that she hit him with a blunt weapon. No, instead she touched the bump forming in the side of his scalp while she exhaled and held his head.

"Have you ever considered trying out for baseball, you know, with Casey or something?" He grunt, looking up at her. Whatever she was watching, muted in the background, danced colors around her features in the dark living room. Her eyes glowed a bright hue of green, brighter than he thought he had ever seen before—would ever see _again_ , and he grinned at her, despite the pain in his head. She scowled while he grinned, and while he collected himself to move forward, Misty moved backwards, eyebrows raising.

"What are you doing here?" She asked suddenly, earning a jest look from Ash, who glanced up at the couch, and the movie, and her gym, which was neatly untidy, and his heart roared in excitement. She still had the small collection of water pokemon figurines—posters on the wall; water pokemon textbooks and his heart fluttered.

Then he was on his feet, racing to her bedroom where she looked on in awe, checking the gym door entrance to her house, and then rushing after him.

" _Ash_ , what are you doing?" She whined, following him with a confused pikachu at her side, explaining that he has been _weird_ all day. Without asking, he opened her bed room door, and her skin crawled.

"Ketchum! Get out of there!" She yelped and ran after him while he glanced at the many colors of her room—the frames, the pictures, the posters; _everything_ she was wrapped into the visible details of her life. Then, she was pushing him again; and he couldn't stop laughing.

"You're acting like a crazy person, does pikachu need to shock you?" She growled, holding up pikachu to his face to show him that she was not joking and to emphasis, she squeezed pikachu who laughed nervously.

She was _alive_ and _safe_ and _sound_ and making fun of him; and _angry_ and... Slowly, Ash snatched pikachu from her fingers, careful not to touch her until his eyes fell on hers in n uncomfortable way and Misty raised her arms to her chest and backed up.

"...You're creeping me ou-" She started, though the statement was never finished as he bolted forward, snatching the young woman into a warm, tight embrace. He knocked the wind out of her, causing a brief inhale while she blinked wide eyed into the darkness, embracing his woodsy scent. Her eyes shifted around the room, they didn't _usually_ hug. They touched, occasionally hugged for holidays, but _Ash_ never initiated the touch, Misty was always the one who hugged first.

Her shock was justified, and so when Ash pulled away, grinning at her like a mad-man; she wondered _just how hard_ she hit him.

"...Should we take you to the hospital?" She questioned, clearly she hit him too hard and he was having some type of brain damage. Shock, fear, then acceptance; and again relief flashed through Ash's eyes in a second and he shook his head, grabbing her shoulders.

"You're okay." It wasn't a question; he wasn't asking.

"...Yes, I am." Misty uttered quietly, eyebrows knitting together. "...but you are clearly _not_ okay. Why don't you sit down?" She offered, guiding him to the couch, but he wouldn't budge.

"No way." He groaned, snatching her upper arms and steadying her. Ash looked down at her, directly into her eyes, an opened his mouth to speak. _She was so pretty_ for lack of better words. The way her loner than shoulder length hair flicked around her face—a rare occasion it wasn't cut to her shoulders, and her tire, green eyes flickered with anticipation.

Ash exhaled slowly, rubbing her arms gently enough _just to be_ uncomfortable, and hard enough to keep her in place, to make _sure_ she was really there and he wasn't losing his mind.

"You're freaking me out." Misty addressed quickly, her tone worried and expression echoing the sentiments.

Ash finally relaxed, and leaned forward. Where she had been calm a second before her pulse quickened like she had run a race. His face was inching closer to her own, eyelids lowering with each beat of her heart, and finally, seconds before contact was made; she placed pikachu between them, and took a solid step back.

"You just lost the Master's Cup, and you're acting like nothing happened! What's wrong with you?" She questioned, eyes wide.

Ash's mouth opened, then closed; and then he smiled.

"...I am upset... but it will come back around in four years, and I'll be even more ready for it then."

"Ash, it's okay to be upset." She urged him, placing a hand on his shoulder comfortingly while he chuckled and titled his head at her, removing his hat awkwardly.

"I know." he said bashfully, brushing a hand through his messy hair. Misty smiled, seeing him calm down calmed her as well. They shared a glance, accepting and _real_ before she sighed pleasantly.

"So, why are you here? I figured you would be off some where celebrating with your mom, or something." Misty assume, walking away from him to lean over the back of her couch to click on the lamp, and pause the movie she was watching.

Then he was grinning again. He _had_ to be dreaming; this couldn't have been real. "Misty I-" He started, then stumbled over his words under her intense gaze. The _last_ time he confessed didn't turn out so hot and he would have been ruined if it happened again. So biting down on his lip he approached her quickly, shutting out the distance between them, then grabbed her shoulders once more, much to her surprise and worry.

"I'm going to kiss you." he announced suddenly, killing the tension before he dipped his head down and captured her lips with his own, twisting a soft peck onto her lips. At first, she let him, even let her arms fall gimp onto his shoulders in ecstasy of the moment, enjoy the lasting taste of his lips and tongue on hers until she realized two majorly flawed characteristics: first, Ash was kissing her, and _second_ he was kissing her well.

Her eyes opened wide, and blushing furiously, she raised her hands and shoved him away from her before scampering back around the couch to put distance between them, and grabbing her bludgeon. Ash rubbed his chest while pikachu watched in horror from the table beside them.

"What in the world was that for?"

"Why are you kissing me! Who are you and what did you do to Ash!?" She gasped, ready to swing again if he came anywhere near her. He blinked worried, then winced at her appearance. At how _different_ they were, and yet how familiar. Joyfully, his heart raced and he smiled at her; shoulders slumping.

"I—Don't be crazy, Misty." Ash uttered to which she only prepared a wider swing as he moved around the couch to grab her.

"Don't come near me, I will hurt you."  
"Misty; if you hit me in the head again, I'm liable for some real brain injury, now put the weapon down, and let's _talk_."

"No way! You're probably some weird shape shifting creature in the form of Ash and are planning to kill me in my sleep!"

Ash turned to the movie she was watching; a cliché horror flick, then turned back to her, his eyebrows quirked humorously. "You do realize what you just said, right? That's up there with my idea about pirates."

Misty paused, tongue pressed tightly to the top of her mouth while she thought over his sarcastic, mediocre response, and then lowered her arms. _It was Ash_.

"...S...so why did you kiss me?" She inquired, pointing at him while he moved around to smooth out the details.

"I like you?" he announced naturally, his later thoughts in life made the confession easier; plus, she almost _died_ , which put a lot of things in perspective for him.

Misty's eyes narrowed. "Okay... Ash, that's great. But are any influences? Drugs, depression?"

Ash stopped, straightened his back and glared at her; his expression asking her ' _really?_ ' while his mouth twitched and Misty nodded and shook her head gently.

"Just checking." She announced and then jumped back into his arms, bringing his lips down to hers again with the same passion and aggression he remembered and adored.

 **XOX**

They stayed up all night talking, mostly because Ash was worried that if he fell asleep, he would wake up _in the dark, dreary future_ again, where everything was wrong, and Misty was... So he watched her for a long time, kissed her fervently when she would start passing out, and wrangled her to her bed to _relax_ sometime before sunrise. Misty talked about _everything_ , from how well the gym was doing, to her sisters being _jerks_ to her friends she was making in the league, to watching Ash on television. Ash, surprisingly didn't talk much; he liked to listen. To her voice, to her words, and her logic while she mumbled tangible stories.

"What about you?" Misty questioned on occasion, but Ash would answer by kissing her; and while she _liked_ it, she always gave him a sort of sideways glance and then returned to talking about whatever she wanted.

Around sunrise, when she clawed him out of his pants and shoes so he could _sleep_ instead of keeping her up forever, she finally questioned him.

"What's wrong, Ash? You've been _weird_." Misty spoke, swiping hair from his face while he stared at her, recalling what she looked like the last time he saw her, as well as _everything else_. Here, now under the covers with the red head, he smiled.

"I just wanted to say that I was sorry; and that we're both pretty stubborn, and..."

"Jeeze, Ash, you're acting like I'm dying or something." She murmured sarcastically, only, when his eyes flickered with that same pain he felt at the end of a major match, her mouth opened and she panicked.

"Oh god, you don't think I'm dying, do you?" She questioned worriedly, and then when he tucked his head into the crook of her neck and wrapped his arms tightly around her, she pat his head worriedly.

"...Ash... What's wrong?" She tried again, brushing his hair while he struggled to find _the right_ words to explain it. How could he tell her that she _was_ dying? That he looked everywhere to help her, and only Xerneas could? That they stopped talking for four years, and rivaled each other with insults, and nonsense and...

"Just..." Ash hummed into her neck. "Let me stay like this for awhile, okay?" He asked her, unable to form his correct feelings. Misty smiled earnestly, and then pat his head warmly.

"Okay, but we need to sleep."  
"Only if you swear you'll still be here in the morning."

"Seriously, what's gotten into you?" She asked, eyes full of worry when he peered down at her, demanding that she _swear_.

"...I swear I'll still be here." her eyes rolled. "Now could you calm down?" She ordered, rolling her eyes at his behavior. Finally, Ash grinned, and wrapped his arms up and around her.

"Thank you."  
"...You're welcome?"

Misty was asleep in seconds, but Ash only rested his eyes; his thoughts were on _what happened after this_? How long would he be in this world, if this was the real world? What if there was some kind of huge catch that he didn't understand? No matter what, he needed to make sure she didn't _die_ again; he would make sure of it now. None of his friends ever would.

Whatever Xerneas did, it gave him a second chance to make _everything_ better, and he would be damned if he messed up again.

 **Author's Note** :

That was a bit happier, wasn't it? ;3;


	6. Ch 6: I know that we're gonna be fine

**Chapter 6**

Ash would not sleep, but how could he? He could hardly believe what happened, _how_ this happened. For the longest time, he would pinch himself under the belief that he was dreaming. He was given a second chance to help Misty, to _be_ with Misty...and, _sure_ he didn't become a pokemon master, but she was safe. There was always a second chance to win in something like that, but there was _no_ second chance with Misty.

While she slept, he carelessly brushed strands of hair from her face, delicately, brushed his fingers over her cheeks, and occasionally pinched himself, to remind himself that he wasn't dreaming _again._ Then, in the quite of the night, against the rustle of the trees, his breath hitched in his throat at _his_ memories. Where Misty would never remember, Ash would _always_ remember.

 _Your life_ , Xerneas warned him.

What did that mean? Was Ash going to replace Misty? Were they doomed for failure from the start? Then, Ash was still confused that Xerneas, a pokemon that shared _eternal_ life, could send him through time in the first place. Was this time travel? Or some alternate dimension where he and Misty were...

She shifted in his arms, curling back until she faced him under the mornings rays through her sheer curtains. Her face practically glowed under the light, and Ash cracked a smile before leaning over for what felt like the millionth time and kissed her forehead.

"You're alright." He told himself. And _for now_ , while she breathed against his chest, and her limp body smoothed against his under the blankets, the details did not matter.

 **XOX**

Ash was not sure when he dozed of, when exhaustion finally got the best of him, and his head lulled beside hers. In his dreams, her bruised face, lifeless body and cold, pale skin was burned into his mind, but when he awoke, she was still there; snoring unapologetic, still beside him, still _alive_. Ash breathed a careful sigh of relief into her hair before rubbing her shoulders, and rolling onto his back to rub his eyes.

"You talk in your sleep." Misty blurted out, cracking her eyes open in the bright room. Ash turned to her glumly, then to the clock past her red hair. Barely a quarter after nine, and they were both awake. Misty had been awake for hours now, though, she wouldn't tell Ash that.

"Do I?" Ash questioned, a grin over his lips.

"Yeah." she said. "Something about being here this time? And car accidents?" Misty groaned, sitting up. Her back cracked several times while she stretched her arms up over her head and pulled at her uncomfortable clothes. She should have switched into her pajamas after all.

At the mention of the accident, Ash froze. Did he say something to her about it? He was not aware that he had been dreaming of the events, let alone talking about them! His eyebrows rose daringly; he licked his lips.

"What car accident?"

"I don't know...?" She grinned at him. "You were the one mumbling about it in your sleep." Misty huffed while standing up and looking over her shoulder him. In the light of the morning, she stood so tall, so proudly that Ash exhaled cautiously when she spoke next. "What were you dreaming of?"

Startled, he watched her. "I...uhh..." he stammered, unsure of how to answer her. It didn't _feel_ like a dream to him. He was reliving memories, moments. Swallowing hard, he deflected her question by shifting his eyes to where her imprint and warmth still radiated from empty bed sheets.

"Where are you going?" he blurted while she tossed her hand over her shoulder. A little depressed he dodged her question, he could see that she knew that _when_ the time came, _if_ it came, Ash would tell her, until then, she would shrug it off.

"I missed my alarm. I'm officially late opening the gym, but don't worry, I'll be back." She assured him while stomping down the familiar hallways.

Ash waited until her footsteps were no longer in the hallway before he slipped out of the cover to and prepare _himself_ for the rest of the day. This would be the first time in years that he and Misty spent a day together, happily. Something could easily go wrong, like it did before! Yet, he _felt_ normal, no limbs were falling off and his head wasn't spiraling. If he was suddenly going to implode by words of Xerneas, now was not the time... _Maybe_ Xerneas meant that his title was Ash's life? That Ash would give up all the titles he earned? His title and dream of becoming a Pokemon Master could have easily represented his life. After all, he spent over half of it getting the title. Until Misty's accident, the work he had led him everywhere.

While he pondered, an unsteady breath left his chest while he clutched the windowsill of her bedroom. Flashes plagued his mind, of what could happen to her, and he was determined to make sure that it _never_ did. Misty would live a long, and happy life. _They_ would live a long an happy life, the one they were supposed to live from the start.

Then, a small chuckle rose from the back of Ash's throat while he pinched the bridge of his nose and placed his head against the cold window, watching his breath fog up the glass. He sounded like some romance superhero! If Misty only knew she would...

"Is something wrong?" her voice tore through the small room, and Ash spun around on his heels to face her once more, startled by her feisty presence. Hands on her hips with dominant bed hair, Ash pursed his lips. It was Misty, the same narrow eyes, angry, and logical female he grew up with.

"Nothing." Ash managed with a breath while she crossed her arms, skeptic of his behavior.

"Well, you're being sulky, and _weird_. Did you bump your head last night?" She questioned while he approached her, quickly wrapping his arms up and around her back and squeezing her tightly for the second time in twenty four hours.

Misty was silenced under his heavy arms, and her face squished into his hard chest and she gulped strangely. Ash never hid his emotions, when he was feeling something, _everyone_ knew about it, but a sensitive, physical Ash was still strange to her, and anomaly that she.. could get used to. Slowly, her arms wrapped acceptably around his back in return, and Ash sighed in relaxation.

"I'm never going to let anything happen to you again." Ash announced into the spikes of her hair, feeling her face heat up against his throat.

"..O...Okay." Misty stammered in confusion, unsure of his behavior.

Then for a long time, they remained just like that. Locked at her bedroom door in an entanglement of limbs and swaying bodies. Ash had no intention of letting go.

 **XOX**

At some point, _much later_ , and much to Misty pestering him and fleeing; she managed a shower while he _attempted_ to prepare breakfast, _or was it lunch now_? There was not a lot of time to question his action, since many of her questions were answered with a grunt, and a tighter squeeze. He was acting like she had died, or _was going to die_.

"Oh god!" She shrieked from the door while she watched Ash set out two bowls for ramen, essentially, it was the only thing either of them could cook well; and oddly, was the only food Misty had in her house.

"What?" answered Ash quickly, with a worried, puzzled look at her agape features. She rushed over to him, and grabbed his shoulders in panic.

"Who is dying?!" She asked, watching his face fall instantly into a fit of panic.

"... _What_?" He asked again, eyebrows knit together tightly and his face frozen in fear.

"Well, why else are you acting so somber and weird! Something had to have happened? Oh, god, was it Brock? It wasn't your mom—oh, god, was it-" While her eyes filled with tepid worry, Ash felt relief course through his body once more, laundered by a heavy sigh while he pat her shoulders and shook her gently into silence.

"Misty, stop. No one's dying." _anymore_. He said, finding her reaction so odd, and ironic, and a bit worrisome. "I'm fine, everyone is fine. Just..." he felt his lips twitched while directing her to her seat. "...just sit down."  
"But you're acting so strange." She whined while _falling_ quickly into her seat with an unpleasant huff and beady eyes. Ash stared down at her while scooting his chair out from beneath the wooden table, and smacking his lips.

His eyes shifted nervously. "I'm not... strange."  
"There it is again!" She accused, pointing at his face with a well trimmed manicure, ruined by time spent cleaning the pools. "You're being reclusive, and and... dodgy, and..."

Ash sighed and grabbed her hand from his face to stroke the edges of it; a motion that sent shivers down her spine, causing her to snap her hand far, _far_ away from him. He watched her momentary panic, having believed they were _past_ this last night, his brows scrunched up.

"It's just weird seeing you like this." it was the truth, she was perfectly healthy, whereas the last time he saw her, she was knocking at deaths door. "And then there's _everything_ else." he added, playing his nerves off as exactly that, _nervousness_. While adult Ash, where he was _now_ , mentally wasn't as unstable and uneducated in the world of romance as his prior current self; but he he would sooner cut out his tongue than tell her the truth.

"Oh." She blushed, recalling their physical activities last night. Kissing was foreign to her, in fact, she wasn't even sure she had been kissed before this! Suddenly, she groaned and slammed her elbows onto the table to support her weight and rub her temples.

"I'm sorry. It's weird for me, too." She announced, looking at him with mirth and embarrassment. Technically, he should have been embarrassed to, and given any other frame in his odd life; he would have been. But not right now.

"Then we're settled on weird." He said happily. "That's better than not settled at all, right?"

Her face flushed darker, glaring at his nonchalant response in pure frustration. He knew exactly how to get under her skin, and his little reaction was akin to a bad reaction, at least in Misty's books.

"How long will you be staying?" She questioned suddenly. Ash nearly spit out the forkful of noodles he started to slurp in their clumsy silence, and he raised his eyebrows, nearly choking.

"Uhhh. What do you mean?"

Of course, she assumed Ash had a million places to be. But he wasn't even affected by the fact he last the Master's cup. He was just so... so...

"I mean, don't you have another adventure to go off to? You just lost in the greatest battle of your life, aren't you a little...depressed?"

How could he be?  
He forced his best grin and closed his eyes with a sharp laugh. "No." he smiled at her, then looked up at the ceiling with an optimistic drawl. "I've been traveling nonstop for _years_ Misty, I'm due for a break, don't you think? After losing, I just need some..." He stammered, looking up at her, _down time_ , he thought bitterly. Her face twisted and her nose scrunched while she sat back, assessing his response.

"Aren't you upset?" She asked again, and Ash shook his head affirmatively.

"I can learn from this. In four years, I'll try again." He said, then added confidently. "And I'll win."

Flabbergasted, she shook her head. Was she damaged or something? Did she not want him around? Ash felt his shoulders droop at her response.  
"Okay okay." Misty put her hand up, face red. "So why are you _here_ again?" because in all reality, he should be training. Previous Ash wouldn't have given a second thought about bailing on her after last night, and returning to his ultimate goal. He understood her fears, and thoughts; and that's what made his next actions all the more enjoyable to watch.

Ash grinned once more, this time honestly when he rose out of his chair and spun Misty's chair to face him before planting his hands on the small, wooden frames behind her. He stared into her sea-green eyes, blinking warmly before dropping his lips close to hers. His breath thinned the edges of her face and she shuddered beneath him.

"Because I love you." He said confidently, watching as the rhythm of the words worked into her skin, starting at her lips, she twitched into a half smile, her nose scrunched up to match her narrowed eyes, and her cheeks flushed a gently shade of powder pink. This was weird, all of this was too weird for her. Misty was a powerful woman, so when she crumbled like paper under his gaze, he found it endearing, and a grin pierced his lips.

"What?" He mocked her. "Do I make you nervous?" He grinned again, and finally Misty shoved him backwards, eliciting a coat of laughter.

"Your breath smells like ramen!" she shouted, standing up with a huff. "And if you're sticking around, don't think you get to be a mooch! I expect you to work." She shouted while collecting her thoughts and storming off to the sink where Ash watched her.

"I plan on it." He mused cracking her winning armor.

 _He missed this side of her_.

 **XOX**

It took a very long time for Misty to _get used_ to Ash being around again; but she liked it. Correction: she _loved_ having Ash around again. Some days, when he wasn't being mopey and _weird_ or staying up super late from nightmares and drinking all of her coffee—honestly, she thought he hated coffee—it was like being kids again. They trained together, battled one another, and sometimes, they went off on little adventures to get new badges or pokemon.

Their friends knew after the first month; Delia was so pleased to hear the news she wouldn't stop calling everyday _just to check up_ , on the odd day, Brock would stop in at _their_ gym and send his condolences to Ash for having to put up with Misty all the time now. Unlike when they were kids, Ash never weaned the insults, rather, he defended her position of authority over him, and constantly reprimanded people who commented that she was doing anything _bad_ at all.

Well, unless she was around, and then he would sing an entirely different tune, mostly to get under her skin and watch her squirm.

It was awkward at first, especially because Ash has weird moments of something similar to relapses, where he would hug her for minutes, sometimes hours, simply stroking her hair, or his new found insistence that she do _nothing_ dangerous; even going as far as removing the battery from her car—not like she ever used it, anyways.

Pikachu was still the same, and even the small pokemon occasionally showed worry over his trainers odd behavior at times, but _over all_ Ash was Ash. He worked hard, made horrible jokes, helped her out when she needed it, and was as sharp tongued as she remembered; especially in _some other ways._

But, there were the _other_ things, too. His drive, motivation, and situational awareness was shot. Since joining her at the gym almost three months ago, after his loss at the Masters Cup, and his feeble reaction, he _never_ left her side. Not that she minded, especially because he was _absent_ for so many years, it was just... uncommon, and unusual, and sometimes invasive. When Erica and Casey would arrive; sometimes when Sakura or Duplica would visit—and sometimes when Georgio who was clearly batting in a different field than her or Ash, he would become overly protective of her.

Drinking was out, she _was not allowed_ to get inside moving vehicles or so help the heavens he found a way to make it _'go boom'_ before she step foot inside; and if she even _suggested_ traveling out of Kanto for a vacation _without_ him, he lost his mind.

It was _great_ , having him around; but where he was neglectful before, he was suffocating her now, and it came alive in her at the simplest of moments. When he would sneak into the kitchen while she was doing dishes to wrap his arms around her waist, she would snap. Or when she would be studying for her exams and he would place quick kisses on her forehead before scampering off, she would stew for hours.

His helpful, second-in command nature that she _never_ got from her sisters, was _amazing._ How he helped her manage her students, and prepare every morning was relaxing and she was grateful.. and yet all she could return to him were feelings of frustrations and pint up rage.

So when his lips casually found perch on her neck when she crawled into bed that night and his arms wrapped around her waist to bring her in close, she nearly hissed in her frustration; a noise so common to him now, he barely heard it.

He kissed up the length of her neck, below her ear, and finally her cheek when Misty jerked away from him and rolled her eyes while shifting on her side.

Ash blinked at her stupidly.

"Did I do something?" He asked innocently, to which she huffed in response. What was worse, that she was miserable and he didn't notice, or that he was so _immature_ he had the nerve to ask.

"Figure it out." She replied hoarsely. She couldn't see it, but she knew he had that _look_ , that hurt expression he made now, the last three months; that mixture of confusion and acceptance. He never _fought_ with her anymore, he _bickered_ , played occasionally and challenged her, but they didn't fight. He wasn't as...

 _Passionate_.

"How can I figure it out if you don't give me a hint?" he mumbled quietly into the darkness of their now shared room, his arms snaked around her waist once again, and right as he was about to shift his chin against her shoulder, she slide out of bed, her silky pajamas screeching against the sheets when she threw her arms up.

"What is wrong with you?!" She yelled, to which Ash reeled backwards, looking around in the darkness.

"With me?" He echoed, unsure of what in the world he did to upset to redhead.

" _Yes_ with you" She hissed, as if the answer was obvious! He wasn't himself!" You're...you're! What's _wrong_ with you!?" She practically shouted, turning away from him to catch her breath. Staring at him made her so angry and jittery.

Now, Ash slipped from the bed, slipping his legs over the side to watch her figure as she paced the ends of the room. He cleared his throat.

"I'm not sure what you..."

"You're too helpful!" She yelled suddenly, jarring his concentration with a shocked expression. "And you're possessive and overly protective and sometimes, you're romantic, and you buy me flowers and, and—" the words coming out of her mouth; oh man, she _knew_ they sounded stupid.

"But," She insisted, the anger lost in her voice, replaced with howling fear. "You're not _you_. What's _wrong_ with you?"

For a long time, nothing stirred the silence between the two of them, her pale limbs glowed under the moonlight from the window, and he was a shadowy figure on her bed. His expression was lost in the darkness while he clenched the bed sheets below him. His bare chest pounded rapidly at his increased heart; he knew in many ways there were things he couldn't say, _wouldn't_ say.

In fear that this could stop. This could end.

She would go away.

And then there was...

She sniffled, pawing at her eyes. "What's _wrong_?" She questioned, and felt the nerves leave his body.

"There's nothing _wrong_ with me!" He snapped, his voice edging on a shout, though he restrained himself. _Barely_. "What's _wrong_ with you?"

He breathed, standing up to face her. "I treat you nicely, I help you run the gym, we host tournaments together, I _support_ you; what _else_ do you want from me?" Ash saw the way that she looked at him from across the room lately, when he was smiling and acting happily and she was simply... not aware of _why_ he was acting that way.

"I don't know!" She hissed, throwing her arms down as her shoulders slumped and she leaned against her long dressed to brush strands of her growing hair from her face. "I just..." She breathed, feeling stupid. "I don't know."

After a short time, Ash shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Aren't you happy?" He questioned suddenly, to which she stared up at him wide eyed. He could see the tears sweltering in her eyes, falling from her cheeks, and for once in a long while, _he felt like a failure again_.

"Yes!" She shouted, then exhaled shakily. "I just—you just..." her thoughts were all over the place, meshed with accusatory blame, current self-loathing and _worry_.

"Why don't you go on adventures, anymore, Ash?" She asked, hiccuping and Ash stirred.

"What?" He mouthed. "So you _want_ me to leave?"

"I didn't say that!" She said quickly, throwing her arms up at him in her defense and exhaling to explain: "It's just, since you lost three months ago, it's like you've been...a different person, or something. I know it sounds stupid, but you...It's weird you being stationary."

What Ash wanted to say didn't dare leave his mouth; questioning what her damage was; how she could still be unhappy with _everything_ he was giving to her. "You're mad that I wasn't around, and now you're mad that I'm here too much?" he asked and Misty exhaled.

"That's not—don't be unreasonable Ash."

"I'm not the one being unreasonable! I've bent over backwards to help you these last three weeks! I've given up _a lot_ to help you, to _be here for you_ and you've been nothing but a jerk!"

"But _why_?!" She screamed immediately following his spill. "Why are you trying so hard!?"

"I told you before it's because I-"

She grabbed his hands, forcing his eyes to face her own with his own eyes questioning him. Three months? They couldn't even make it three months.

"I know that you do." her words were gentle, calming to Ash, who watched her with curious eyes. "but _why now_ , what happened? I've known you for a very long time now, Ash, and you've never been one to just settle down because you lost a battle, if anything it's always made you try harder..." She stammered. "What happened to you? I've let it slide for this long...so...tell me... Please."

Ash's eyes narrowed very slowly at her question, his head titled almost ninety degrees when he didn't answer right away, Misty felt inclined to continue in urgency. "It's just, I don't need you to watch over me every two seconds, I can take care of myself, and I don't want you to stop going after your dreams because of _me_ , Ash. It bothers me so much because you have _so much more_ to do and I...don't want to be the person who takes that away from you." She announced quietly, watching his expression falter from confusion, to acceptance, and finally, he leaned down and kissed her forehead, and wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

"I...haven't told you everything." He mumbled quietly into the darkness, unsure of the words himself while he watched her expression. Ash wasn't sure where to start, but he had to start _somewhere_. A part of him worried that if he told her, they would revert, they would be in the same boat, but if he didn't...then she would continue acting this way—being _unhappy_ , and Ash didn't _save her_ just to watch her become bitter and miserable.

Still, how could he tell her the truth?

"I thought you died." He announced blatantly, his heart racing. Puzzlement embodied her face while her brows rose.

"What?" She gasped, shaking her head. "What do you mean you thought I died? What in the world gave you that idea?"

His face scrunched up. "I...it doesn't matter... it put some things into perspective for me, and I can't..." _leave you again._ He wanted to say, but her hand landed softly on his face, and stroked the length of his strong chin, and stopped at his lips to silence him.

"Do you think if something happened to me, I'd want you to stand still?" She asked as his body felt stiff and cold. "I still want you to be _you_." She added, to which Ash exhaled nervously, and finally collapsed onto her in exhaustion.

She accepted him into the grasp, hugging him warmly and exhaling into his shoulder.

"People die, and change, and move on _everyday_ , Ash, that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice everything you've worked for over an unnecessary fear." She smiled into his neck, and he could feel her warmth radiating into his skin, lapping at his heart and warming him from the inside out. "You're being silly."

He chuckled into her hair, rubbing his nose there and taking in her scent while squeezing her tightly.

"If only." He muttered, causing a puzzled Misty to blink at the offhanded remark.

 **XOX**

Life was _better_ , a little bit, _at least_. Ash was trying not to be so protective of her, and Misty was trying to shrug off when he was. He stopped insisting on coming with her for nights out with her friends, but he hadn't let up on the vehicle ban whatsoever. If Ash wasn't a fan of phones, she might have thought that he had a phobia of new age technology.

Still, they worked out their kinks, and by the sixth month mark, _traveling_ was even on the table again.

Though, Ash was determined to bring her with him.

"Ash, I can't go with you." She said behind a mug of steaming coffee. He puffed his cheeks out.

"And why not? I've seen this place during off season; you have _at least_ six months of the year to come with me." He urged her, tapping his fingers on the table.

Her face scrunched up. "That's not the point."

"Really?"

"Go by yourself." She said hotly, watching his serious expression.

"No." He growled. "Come with me."

"No!" She huffed, placing her mug down while they sat at a stand-still. He glared at her over the table, and she was determined to refrain from traveling.

"I'm not going with you, and that's final." She said and Ash blew air from his mouth.

"Okay, fine. I'll let it go..." He paused, allowing Misty to believe that she had won for a single moment. "...if you can tell me why."

He had her, Misty always backed out of a good explanation, outside of _private, intimate_ moments when it was just the two of them laying awake in the dark when he couldn't see her expression, she was as quiet as a church mouse.

"I don't have to explain anything." She stammered quickly, slurping her drink again, coughing because it was still to hot to do so. Ash smirked.

"Really? What about all those times you made _me_ explain myself? I thought relationshipswere about sharing?" He said warmly, marking on her least favorite subject, their relationship; which was still trying to find footing in an otherwise messy background.

"Fine." She huffed and sad forward, but looked away from him. "I know you've stopped that whole over protectiveness, but you need to have some time to yourself, too; you know, see the world again; get away from constantly thinking about me." Ash wasn't sure what to say back to her at first, however, his scoff was evident.

"It's not about that." He rolled his eyes playfully. "Did you consider that I just wanted you around because I _like_ having you around? Because we're _dating?_ " His voice was mocking her, watching her with a sly smirk. Underneath the table, his leg brushed sensually against hers, and she snapped away from him. However, it was the tone of his voice that made her skin crawl.

"No!" She blurted out, face beet red. He grinned eagerly at her response. "Pervert!" She yelled, chucking a napkin at his face, which he caught and laughed into.

"I don't mean it like that! We used to travel together all the time; I think it'll be fun! Besides if I wanted to do it only to 'protect' you, don't you think I _would_ leave you here? Traveling isn't _safe_ , you know." He mocked her beet red expression while her foot thumped on the ground and her mouth twitched. Her arms twisted up, then around her chest while she looked furiously at him.

"That's...that's" She started, her argument growing less appealing each time she started. Ash waited eagerly for her to break, when a sudden ringing from the gym floor brought their attention to her duty as a gym leader.

"A challenger?" Ash mumbled, "This time of year?" he added half-baked while she jumped from her chair.

"Oh thank _god_." She hissed fleeing the kitchen quickly, and leaving Ash chuckling while he and pikachu followed after her slowly. The mouse hopped onto his shoulder and squealed eagerly at him in poke-tongue about how excited he was that Misty would be coming with them again; and Ash couldn't agree more.

Until he saw her face while the _supposed to be challenger_ raced away after dropping off a letter from the league. Misty cracked the letter open instantly, before Ash could make any quip that she scared the poor guy off, she swallowed hard and looked up at Ash with concerned eyes.

He feared the worse; of course he did. Anything could happen, anything could go wrong; but he waited for her to speak before making an assumption. Ash knew better.

"...My sisters are suing me." She said, handing Ash the envelope and his face screwed up.  
... _Was_ it that time of the year already?

 **Author's Note** :

So, I -was- tempted after some reviews to write this into a full length story, but I still think I'm going to stick to my original outline and wrap this up in 10 chapters. It's supposed to feel 'rushed', given what happens in the next few chapters. I dunno, maybe this just isn't my best work? Was supposed to be a short story. PERHAPS, someday, I will write something like this again with the intention to flesh everything out.

...ARE YOU GUES CONFUSED YET!?

Anywho, thanks for all the support -hearts- I appreciate all the awesome feedback.

Thanks for reading!

NINT


	7. Ch 7: and all of our mistakes

**Until the Day, Chapter 7**

"So... Tracey said you saved my life."

Misty spun around from the railing where she stood. Shamuti island faded into the distance as they made their way back to the normal route of the Orange Islands, as if the entire ordeal of the Orange Islands was a figment of his imagination—that his entire life didn't change that day. She didn't look impressed, her eyelids were lowered over her sea-green eyes and she shrugged.

"I didn't." She mumbled looking back the island in deep thought.

Sometimes, Ash wished for a millisecond he could understand what she was thinking, on the days when she looked so translucent, so soft in comparison to her ridged, tomboyish appearance. It reminded him that even sometimes, Misty was human: a person, _a girl._ Ash smiled warmly at her.

"Even so, I wanted to say thank you." He nudged her shoulder while approaching the rail and leaning against it with his forearms. "And _someday,_ I intend to pay you back, even if you _didn't_ save my life." He threw out, mocking her intentionally and earning a sinister glare from the female.

"I can't let you die before you pay me back for my bike." She muttered sourly though a bit of humor decorated her words while she flung away from the railing and stuck her tongue out at him. Ash shuddered, but couldn't find it in himself to rebuke the girl while she waved to him in goodnight, and disappeared below deck.

Ash leaned far back that night, looking into the ocean while it splashed against the sides of the boat they were on and inhaled coolly. He nearly drowned, pikachu reminded him of it every other minute—how from now on, Ash _had_ to be more careful. Funnily enough, the one person he thought would give him hell for nearly drowning was Misty, and she barely said any words on the subject. Did she not care, or was it that she know that she could save him, regardless? That she and Tracey would have his back in a time when he really needed them? Maybe she wasn't scared of him drowning, because she was a water-pokemon trainer, and she _knew_ better than anyone she could rescue him?

Maybe it was too painful to talk about, how she let him go alone when she should have been at his side. Ash was used to being alone—but he was getting even more used to having Misty around.

His grip intensified on the railing and he looked outward to the island once more.

"I guess I am pretty lucky." Ash murmured aloud, licking his lips.

 **XOX**

Ash and Misty would never talk about it, but Misty was terrified for Ash; blaming herself for letting him go alone, even more upset that she couldn't help him when he really needed it—how could she tell him not to be reckless, when he _had_ to be. It was his calling, apparently, his life would never be _normal_ ; she couldn't scold him for that, tell him to be careful.

Sometimes he had no control of it. Ash knew that now, after spending years with Misty; how subtle she cared for her friends, and understood their hardships. The sacrifices she made to be there for her friends were endless, so, when the time came to leave for his journey, or sit with her during the initial reaction to her sisters _suing her_ , well, Ash stuck around.

"Ash, you don't need to stay here. You should be out on an adventure, I can take care of myself."  
"No way, your sisters are suing you. I'm not leaving." Ash declared, taking her hand briefly before they walked into the court room that day to look at the judge who was handling the announcement. Misty figured she would see what grounds they were trying to sue on, and then decide if she needed a lawyer—depending on the charges, most of them could just be thrown out in court. Misty didn't do _anything_ to hurt her sisters except throw them out of the gym, after all.

However, the news wasn't good. Ash didn't realize Misty's sisters started so early; then again, setting up a court case took months, sometimes years—everything was just kept under wraps for so long...

"Misty Waterflower, please take a seat." The judge gestured for her to sit at the front row pews. It was only the two of them, several officers of the law, and the judge, adorning a white wig that Ash had to stifle his laughter.

"Who is this?" The judge looked to Ash, and Misty glanced between the two of them.

"My friend..." Misty said, then shook her head clear to stare up at the judge. "My _boyfriend._ " She corrected proudly while Ash took an uncertain seat beside her. "He's moral support."

The judge looked sympathetic. "I guess you'll need it." he muttered, then opened the file and began reading the allegations to the gym leader.

Ash had no idea how serious the claims were originally; the trial that he remembered boiled down to slander, and thanks to a very persuasive lawyer, once the lawsuit reached trial; it was thrown out under the belief of _sisters fighting_ , but their accusations were fairly horrible.

They painted Misty into a monster; a money grubbing, title stealing, pokemon stealing, con artist. Accusing her of victimizing the three sisters abusing them mentally while they were living together, so much as to say that the reason they left wasn't because Misty kicked them out, but because they needed to flee from her horrible behavior. Essentially, their accusations boiled down to _Misty took over the gym and we stopped getting money, we are now broke and upset_.

How selfish, and conniving, and...

Apparently _serious_.

"Do they have proof of any of this?" Misty blurted out at the end of the two page legislation, and the judge crossed his arms and pursed his lips.

"I'm not obliged to say, but if I were in your shoes, I would find myself a lawyer. Given your position as a member of Kanto's pokemon league, you're going to be scrutinized more publicly than your sisters...and things can be... fabricated." The judged straightened his papers, and cleared his throat. "You have heard the accusations, the officer will give you a copy on your way out, and we will be pending a mediation in the next few months."

That explained the sudden absences from league parties, the sudden moodiness, her inability to function rationally. Ash inhaled, while _technically_ it was different now, he felt horrible, like a pit formed in the center of his stomach, and he wasn't sure what to say. Obviously, in his original timeline, he didn't help her one bit by constantly berating her in front of the cameras—it's no wonder they couldn't make up.

Ash exhaled through his mouth while Misty wordlessly collected her documents and led him out of the winding, small legal room. Her heels clacked against the tile floor below—she wore black slacks and a white blouse—really the only professional clothes she owned, and Ash was squeezed into some of her dad's old clothes at the back of her closet.

"Misty." Ash called to her, racing to be at her side. Pikachu waited at the gym for them so he didn't have the familiar weigh on his shoulder keeping his arm down when he snatched her hand. Pokemon weren't allowed in the judicial rooms.

"Are you alright?"  
"Just fine." She mumbled, keeping her hair over her eyes while she snapped her hand away from his and continued forward. She didn't want to make a scene, give the media or _anyone_ another reason to write her name _unfit_ on a piece of paper. This wasn't even about money, or winning; it was about Misty having something her sisters didn't have a part of anymore, and them being upset over it.

"Misty-" Ash hummed, tucking his lips into the spikes of her hair and kissing her gently. "It'll be okay; do you want to get something to eat?"

She looked up at him, mirth in her eyes when she slapped him in the shoulder and tucked her arm around his with a grin tugging at her lips.

"I have no idea how you always make me feel better even when I want to break everything."  
Ash scoffed bravely. "It's a gift." he mocked, flipping his growing hair while she shoved him playfully.

 **XOX**

A week passed before Misty found a lawyer she felt would represent her successfully. She looked through a million advertisements to find the _right one_ , and Ash was only a little upset that it happened to be _him_.

Misty wore a blend of colors, trying to appear professional in lieu of the situation, she bought new clothes; a few skirts, some blouses, and another pair of heels. She looked pretty, but her skirt was too short for Ash's taste, so he busied himself in the waiting room by tugging at her hems to lower them. She hardly noticed thanks to her own nervousness while she waited, stroking the length of Ash's thigh until her hand was numb.

"I really think you should try talking with them." Ash offered one more time when Misty looked at Ash and shook her head.

"...Ash, they're suing me. I'm afraid that if I even talk to them outside of the lawsuit they'll use whatever I say to them against me."

"Would they really do that?" Ash asked, and Misty shrugged.

"I didn't think that they would—they're supposed to be my sisters; you know." her pain laced in her voice was a sound he was beginning to get used to, a sound that sent angry vibrations through his chest and caused his entire being to shake.

"...Misty..." Ash whispered, keeping eyes away from them. "You know I don't have siblings... but I know a thing or two about fighting with people, and I think counter-suing is a huge mistake." He inhaled, taking in the scent of her wild berry perfumes and chlorine from her morning swim.

"I think you should talk with them."

"And say what?" She snapped. "Sorry I took the gym from you and kicked you out of my life?"

"...I just think that-"

"Yeah, well don't think. You don't know anything about this." Misty stood, gathering her things together while the receptionist called her name and Ash shook his head at her, ignoring her venomous words and taking her hand.

"Misty, you've been fighting with your sisters for years; maybe they just want to talk with you."  
"Then they should talk! Not sue!" She snapped, removing her hand from his, and stalking into the lawyers office where he _wasn't_ allowed.

Once she disappeared behind closed doors, he groaned and lolled his head backwards over the chair, squeezing his eyes shut. He couldn't imagine what she was thinking right now, more importantly, what the pig-man was telling her. Anything and everything to get her money, and her legs open, apparently. Ash rocketed to his feet, and paced while scratching at his head. Man, he wished pikachu was here! He was going to drive himself nuts like this—sure, Ash and Misty were already dating so he should have had nothing to worry about.

Ash paused, and looked at the large, oak doors—but Misty and him were _engaged_ before! What if... no, Ash waved the feeling off, even if that _was_ the case, he had no right to keep her from it—after all, she was supposed to live for herself; this wasn't about him; sure, it was working great for the two of them so far, but he only wanted her to be happy.

If that was her choice then...

The doors flew open, revealing a huffing Misty while she fled the lawyers office, much to the big-meaty-man's confusion.

"I think you're making a huge mistake, talking with them without a lawyer present could be detrimental to your case."

"Yeah, well, I'll be sure to record the whole thing!" Misty growled, throwing her arm up, the lawyer flinched, and Ash thought he could see the impression of a red, five fingered print over his right cheek—but couldn't be sure as Misty's tight grip laced around his arm and drug him out of the building as swiftly as she could.

"Uhh." Ash finally spit out, head spinning. "What happened?"  
"He was a pig!" Misty gasped, releasing Ash to pat her own skirt down, feeling it was too short now, as well. "He was going to charge me sixteen hundred dollars just for a reading of my report—and then he—he.." She growled feeling sick to her stomach and in drastic need for a shower while Ash stared on at her in awe.

"...He suggested he would do it for free if I—I..." She threw her hands up, grabbing her hair. "Do I look like a harlot!?" She screeched while gesturing to her outfit, and Ash couldn't stop laughter from funneling out of his mouth, though he tried with no avail to stop it, she didn't look as impressed.

"Don't laugh at me!" She hissed, grabbing his cheeks while tears pooled at the corner of his eyes from the stinging pain of her fingers.

"What happened to that protective boyfriend I was supposed to have, huh!? Shouldn't you be threatening to break down the doors and snap necks or something!?" She yelled loudly with a grin on her lips while his laughter fell into short chuckles, and finally died off with the release of his cheek muscles.

He rubbed his face, "Well, I _can_ , but I dunno; I think attacking a lawyer wouldn't be in either of our best interest." Ash muttered smartly, earning a nasty glare from Misty who playfully shoved him.

"When did you get so smart?" She barked while kicking off her heels and starting down the street.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"To _talk_ , that's what you suggested, right?" She shouted back at him while he chased after her, a dopey expression over his face while her shoulders remained high, unlike how he remembered them—then again, while he laughed at what had happened; his eyes were opened a little more to the situation she was in before, and he clucked his tongue.

It wasn't in _her_ best interest, but Ash might make a pit stop later.

"Hey, wait up!" He called after her, barreling into a short jog.

 **XOX**

They stood at the outside of a small, disgusting apartment complex while Misty rubbed her hands together tiredly.

"I...don't know Ash, I don't think we should; I mean, do you really think this is the right call?"  
"I've never been more sure of anything." Ash announced. "You love your sisters, by default, they should love you, too. Sometimes siblings fight, that doesn't mean you're ever past the point of making up." He announced and Misty glanced at him, eyes narrowed while she licked her lips.

"Did something happen to you, you know, before you came back to see me... I know you said you had-"

"It doesn't matter." Ash announced, eyebrows raised and smiling earnestly at her. "I can be pretty smart when I want to be." he then released her effortlessly, and pointed to the door. "I'll go in first like we talked about, and then you come in after."

Misty didn't respond for a long time, her eyes were narrowed, and her brows were knit closely together while she watched her lover dance around her as if he had years of experience on her and she cracked a forced smile—a _scared_ smile.

"Alright."

"Okay." Ash mimicked, turning to the apartment and preparing to enter the facility when she called after him.

"Thank you, Ash." he heard barely above a whisper before the door closed behind him, and he saw her glancing down at her phone to pass the time while he suffered through the worst of their inevitable reunion.

After all, he could be dead tomorrow; if Xerneas' threat meant anything, so he might as well make sure she had someone to lean on if he wasn't around anymore. While he walked up a flight of stairs to 214 B, he could smell toxic sewage, a plethora of cigarette smoke, and the occasional waft of pee as he circled the hallway to find the small apartment the three sisters shared. The door had apparent claw marks, and the wall outside had fire damage. He could only imagine what the inside looked like.

Ash knocked twice, then a third time when he couldn't hear anyone on the other side.

Eventually, he heard a body shifting through the room, the movement of a slide, indicating a glance through the eye hole, and finally;

" _Ash Ketchum_?" a high pitched voice penetrated his ears, and he took a step back while the lock untwisted in several ways, and eventually, the golden short bob and crystal blue eyes of Misty's eldest sister filled his vision.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" She asked nicely, then gestured for him to come inside—at first, he was fearful, worried that it would look like the rest of the building, but while his dumbfounded nature made its way into the small apartment, he discovered quickly how wrong he was.

The place was torn up, _underneath_ their decorations. He felt like he was walking into a traditional Kanto restaurant with a burning mixture of incense, hanging lights, and delicate dishware hiding otherwise unpleasant scenery. Pictures, and awards decorated the walls, and a lovely couch sat perpendicular the television and small kitchen. In the corner, he could see a small door leading into a bedroom split by curtains, and a girly, destroyed bathroom beside that.

"Wow," Ash gushed, "I like what you've done with the place."

"It's not a lot, I know." Daisy admit modestly, "But it's home...sort of." Daisy remarked while gesturing to Ash to have a seat on the love seat while she moved into the kitchen to fetch some tea.

"Where are Violet and Lily?" Ash questioned, looking around for them—there was no way they were hiding in the small apartment, but to be sure, he asked. The television was muted on, surprisingly, the battle network when Daisy reappeared with a small cup of tea.

"Lily is in school, and Violet's shift at the bar down town started an hour ago." She announced, clearing he throat while she took a seat beside him on the arm chair and gestured at him.

"How are you? I haven't seen you since you were a little boy—anything interesting happen recently?" She paused, sadness filling her eyes. "Have you seen Misty?"

He didn't need to answer, because the apparent, subtle movement of his eyes and face was motion enough for her to understand that was who he was here on behalf of.

"oh." Daisy said, chuckling while sitting back. She sucked in her lips and smiled at Ash. "...she was too nervous to come up herself?"

"Well, _yeah_ , you guys are trying to sue her." Ash muttered back at her.

Daisy's shoulders slumped. "We don't want to..."

"Then why are you?"

"Because she's stubborn." Daisy smiled, blinking pretty eyes at him. "Or maybe we're a little stubborn, I don't know." Daisy shook her head in disbelief. "The gym was as much our home as it was her's, and she wrongfully removed us."

Ash tilted his head at her comment, knowing better, and so Daisy crossed her legs at the knees. "...Okay, she had good reason, but to remove us from the title completely was..." She paused for a long time, and Ash waited patiently for her to continue.

"We miss her."

At that, Ash's face screwed up. "So your only option was to _sue_ her?" He asked, nodding his head slowly.

"We don't really want to sue her; we just want her to talk with us"

"And you thought suing her would do that?" Ash snickered and toasted his mug to her sarcastically. "It's nice to know you three are still holding the chalice of stupidity."

Daisy could have smacked him, if they knew each other better, she might have. "She won't return our phone calls, or our emails, or letters... We didn't know how else to get through to her."

Ash sipped his tea, reveling in the warm sensation as it drained into his gullet, and blinked at her several times.

"So, you thought falsely filing a lawsuit was the answer?"

"...It's kind of stupid, isn't it?" Daisy murmured, and Ash tilted his head in one direction, and then the next and nodded.

"She hates us now, doesn't she?" the blonde asked sadly while resting her glass on her knees, and blinking tears from her eyes.

Ash didn't know what to say, other than the swelling discord in his chest.

"I don't hate you." Misty's voice cut through the room while Ash sat up naturally and Daisy stiffened in her seat.

"How did you-" Ash started, but she shrugged nonchalantly at him—she followed him, obviously.

"Why wouldn't you just come to the gym? if what you're saying is true." Misty announced and Daisy set her cup on the table and looked over her shoulder at Misty.

"And say what exactly?"  
Misty shrugged. "I don't know, how about: _I'm sorry_?" Daisy's face drained of color at Misty's insanely simple solution. "People fight _all the time_ , we said some things we can probably _never_ take back—but that doesn't mean we have to _hate_ each other." Misty's head shook.

"...I didn't want you guys to live in a place like this, or struggle as much as you are... I just..." Misty's face fell. "I wanted you to respect me, and the gym, and take yourselves more seriously. But I don't _hate_ you."

Ash watched the scene unfold quietly from his place at the couch, and looked down suddenly, feeling like he had been stabbed. Daisy's eyes filled with water.

"You said you never wanted to see us again, that if we came near the gym you would call the league."

"I know." Misty mumbled. "I was mad."

"Which is why we couldn't just apologize, you would have gone nuts."

"You don't know that.." Misty hummed, looking at Daisy who sniffled.

"Can we not do this?" Daisy asked finally, wiping a tear from her eye while she stuck her hands out. "Can we just hug this out and call it even?"

"Daisy, you're suing me." Misty hissed, though her eyes were watery and a chuckle was muddled in her throat.

"But you showed up, didn't you?" Daisy whispered and before Ash's eyes he watched the two sisters hug out their imploding emotions, and felt sick to his stomach.

 _We can still be friends, can't we_? Misty called to him during one of their last meetings before her accident, and Ash _left_ her. He looked away, feeling the raw tender emotion as if it was happening all over again and cleared his throat in his best attempt to keep it together. He never realized how forgiving Misty truly was.

"We have to tell Lily and Violet." Daisy announced breaking away from misty.

"Daisy, you need to call your lawyer first."

"I don't have a lawyer." Daisy laughed, smiling at Misty. "We were going to represent ourselves, because we figured you couldn't afford one, either."

Misty pursed her lips, forgetting Ash was standing beside her when she followed Daisy into the tiny dining room to chastise her sister's idiotic behavior. Daisy mocked Misty equally, as if everything was normal _always_ , and happily sent the email, canceling the accusations and pending trial via email that she proudly showed to Misty.

It was great; watching Misty's eyes light up around Daisy who happily showed Misty their new achievements board and talked about some of her greater feats—but he felt so _wrong_ inside; as if he couldn't breath all of a sudden. Ash tugged on is collar, loosening the tie he had around his white blouse and nearly choked on the lilac ridden room. He needed fresh air. Misty wouldn't notice if he stepped out for a minute.

While escaping out of the room, tugging at his collar and feeling light-headed, he felt a pinch here, and there, and the wash of guilt that tugged at every nerve in his body. He _felt_ like he was having a heart attack: trouble breathing, shortness of breath, a numbing sensation all over his body—but he was too young for a heart attack, no, this was something else. But, he couldn't think.

He just needed air.

When he arrived outside, he felt the icy cold hands of death wrap around his rib cage, and he wanted to scream if it meant he could breath again. His throat felt itchy. Instead, he stumbled forward and could have sworn he heard Misty screaming at him, but his head was foggy, and his body moved without reason.

"Ash!" She screamed, then e felt her body crash against his in something akin to a football tackle and hit the ground with a heavy thud. He might have banged his head, but he couldn't recall. She sat on his waist, staring down at him while he looked up at her through squinted eyes, and found it impossible to speak.

"What in the world are you-" Misty hissed, then immediately realized something was wrong. She pat his face. "Ash?" She called to him, but he quickly became unresponsive, as much as he would have liked to.

"Ash!" And then everything went dark.

 **XOX**

That was it, for Misty to live Ash had to die. He thought it would be something like that, he really did. After all, Xerneas wasn't a pokemon capable of sending people back through time—he was the pokemon of granting eternal life—maybe he was perfectly capable of taking it away, as well? Maybe to give back life, he had to take one? Was that the deal?

...Would it hurt?

Ash was floating, death was easier than he thought, there wasn't a lot of pain—if anything, the only pain he felt was the crack in his heart that Misty had to watch _him_ die. A trade off he wasn't exactly okay with, but was happy to know that she was happy, and would make it.

He was surprised there wasn't any light above him, encapsulating his body—no, he felt like nothing and everything at the same time. Some gray area between heaven and hell more than likely because he distorted life in order to save Misty. Did that mean he would be somehow punished for his selfless behavior? Even still, if he had to spend eternity in limbo, he would be okay; just so long as she was okay.

"Ash." Unless he had to hear her voice for the rest of his time, that would make him go crazy!

"Ash." Her voice cut through the silence of his world again, jarring his distorted view, and his body felt heavy again. Floating disappeared, and instead he felt like he had been hit by a truck. A very angry, redheaded truck-Misty was that truck, and he wasn't dead.

"Misty?" He croaked after her, peeling one eye open at a time to see her body sitting above his; hair tied up into a high ponytail, and face as pale a ghost. The room he was in was bright white, save for the red curtains in the window, and they hurt his eyes to see, so he squeezed them shut again, and tried to sit up.

His last few memories were of Daisy and Misty hugging, stumbling, or falling down a flight of stairs—he couldn't remember, and bright lights before Misty tackled him.

"What happened?" he groaned, rubbing his head while he pushed himself forward to look around the room. Daisy, Lily, and Violet were standing at the end of his bed, looking rather pale themselves.

"I, like, am so, so sorry. I didn't know you were allergic to raspberries."

Ash's eyes widened, and his eyebrows rose behind his bangs before looking at Misty who shrugged with an innocent smile over her face. What did raspberries have to do with it? His questioning gaze pressed a smile onto her lips while she squeezed his hand.

"They gave you raspberry tea." Misty hummed innocently. "They didn't know." she quickly added and Ash shrugged, surprised himself.

"I didn't either, actually." His eyes didn't leave Misty when he sat up. "Why do I feel like I've been hit by a bus though?"

"Well, that's because my dear sister decided that instead of actually getting hit by one, she'd like you to live longer and tackled you out of the middle of the road."  
"I was almost hit by a car?" He gasped looking at Misty who smiled at him carefully.

"I know you have a thing about cars, Ash, but your fine; I got to you first. It's all okay." She said, knowing that he wasn't thinking clearly during his allergic reaction.

Eyes wide, he looked between the sisters, then to Misty, then to his hands and finally looked up at her. "But I'm okay?"  
"Yeah, aside from a little bit of bruising, you're as good as new. The doctor put you on some medication so you'd sleep through the night but otherwise you're fine..." Misty trailed off while Ash threw off his covers, they weren't lying that he was okay, they even kept him in his street clothes—well, his _professional_ clothes from the lawyers office yesterday.

Ash wasn't _dying_. At first, a wave of emotions hit him. He was willing to accept it; perhaps that was the hero in him, but knowing that he wasn't... He swallowed, a new light washing through his eyes that made Misty's toes curl.

"Let's go then!" he announced, sounding rather chipper while he tugged off his IV connection, much to her sisters displeasure.

"Well you can't leave yet, the doctor needs to check you out and-"

"I don't want to be here." He said immediately, silencing Daisy.

"Ash...what..." She asked, though when Ash looked at her, something in his eyes kept her quite. Misty didn't understand the sudden hate of hospitals, but the wild look in his eye was enough for her to nod in agreement.

"Okay."

"What, Misty, you can't let him leave." Daisy muttered, but Misty shrugged her off while Ash smiled in victory and sighed of relief.

Misty pressed her free hand to Daisy's shoulder. "It's fine, will you three talk with the doctor after?"

"What?" Lily squealed, then folded her arms in protest but Daisy waved her off.

"Of course, you just take care of him." She smiled while Ash stumbled through the door while pulling on his shoes simultaneously, and practically started to jog from the hallways.

"Wait, Ash." Misty called to him, but his head was screaming at him now, a headache he hardly remembered happening while he glanced around the hallway he was in—he was in the emergency room, where Misty was before and his entire body felt the need to collapse when he crossed through the waiting room where he, Brock, and his mother waited for _hours_ to be given no good news.

"Ash!" Misty snapped, grabbing his arm while he reached the first step of the outside stairs and was pulled to a sudden stop by his red haired beauty.

"Stop." she commanded, watching the flight leave his eyes.

"Is there a reason you're in such a hurry?" She questioned, and Ash couldn't help but look up at the sign, then back to Misty, then to the lobby full of people that seemed just as concerned as he once was.

"...I just really don't like hospitals." Ash announced, then slowly backed away, careful to bring Misty along with him because he most _certainly_ was not going to leave her there. Given her worry, however, she walked rather than jogged and sighed quietly.

"I see..." She hummed, watching the side of his face. "...So you're sure that you are okay?"

Ash faced her and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"I thought you were dying." Misty announced suddenly, halting his steps. Her voice cracked, the shock finally reached her.

"I'm..." When he looked up at her, _really_ , looked up at her, he realized it wasn't just _now_. Her eyes were puffy, bloodshot, and she didn't look well; more than likely, she didn't sleep in favor of sitting up with him all night. How many times had he seen that look on her face? At least a handful of times when they were kids. More once they were adults.

"If Daisy hadn't been there, you might have...She called the ambulance and I turned into a mess, she recognized it as an allergic reaction and I thought you were..."

Biting her lip, she looked to the ground. "You walked out into oncoming traffic, Ash; if I had been a second slower, or hadn't realized you were gone..." She wasn't looking at him during her confession, and he couldn't blame her.

"You can't die!" She squealed suddenly, fresh tears boiling from her eyes wile she pawed at them mercilessly. Her shoulders bounced up and down tiredly and she hiccuped several times. Cold waves crashed into his body and he moved to grab her, but she slapped his hands away. "You've always been reckless! I'm not as strong as you are—if something happened to you I-"

"I'm not going to die, Misty!" he called out for her, clutching her shoulders and keeping them still. She broke under his grasp and fell forward with her head landing into the crook of his neck.

Ash was cold, his hands were shaking and he had no idea what to do to help her. Carefully, his fingers pulled at the tangles of her hair, and his lips brushed gently against her forehead while she wept quietly. His legs were still a bit weak, and a pool of guilt filled his stomach. If he did die, what kind of fair trade would that be? Misty would be ruined, like... he was.

His eyes drifted to the road beside them and he exhaled quietly.

"You were there." He said confidently, a smile on his face, brushing his hand through her hair once again. "That's all that matters."

"That coming from you is classic, you freaked out over a _nightmare._ This wasn't a dream, Ash; you _really_ almost died." She croaked, pounding a weak fist into his chest.

His eyebrows knit up-visibly disturbed by her words, and for the first time. The way his body tensed at the recollection of his _dream_ , she realized he wasn't telling her the full truth about his little _nightmare_. Their eyes connected for a time, brown meshing with cerulean green. He was afraid, but she was curious. Why had he not told her the truth? What was so terrifying that he lied to her... Ash swallowed, recognizing that look as one he shared before _shifting_ through time. He almost died again only, she was the one suffering from it. From some stupid allergy he wasn't aware that he had.

Before she could question his expression, his lips fell onto hers desperately, and she melted into his arms. Brushing her hands against the bruises on his torso to elicit immediate hisses from the boy. He hummed breathlessly into her collarbone.

" _Thank you_." he told her, pulling her in tightly while she pushed away from him with a heavy sigh.

"I love you." she expressed, and Ash felt his entire body stiffen while he watched her murky eyes.

"...What?"

Again, this time with a smile. "I...love you." she said sincerely, eyes shifting around in embarrassment before Ash nodded, gripping her into a bear hug, and kissing her exposed neck.

"I promise I'm not going anywhere!" he shouted, the vibrations sending giggles through her body while he swung her around; immediately regretting the decision.

"'cept." His stomach gurgled. "I think I need food."

"Me, too." Misty quipped, staring down at him from where he held her up against his body. They remained like that for a moment, before she tucked her chin down to his ear, and whispered a suggestion into his ear that brought a blush to his cheeks and a grin to his lips.

"After?" he asked, resulting in a blushing wink from his girlfriend. "You know, I _did_ just get out of the hospital."

 **Author's Note** :

Things I need to learn how to do: Keep my outline a little more organized lol.

GOOD NEWS (I hope I haven't said this before) I have all of Until the Day complete. That means the 7k word chapters are written, I just have to edit and revise appropriately. There are only three more chapters after this one. So, lotsa feedback?

ALSO; THIS IS THAT NICE, (almost) ANGST FREE CHAPTER I PROMISED FOREVER AGO?

-runs-

I realize something I do in a lot of my stories, is Misty is a shower, and Ash is a sayer. So when she says "I love you" to Ash, it's a lot like getting hit by a bolt of lightning? Now if I can get that Chapter of Locked Away I've been working on posted and update Equanimity, hopefully I can get back on schedule. Weeeeee

NINT


	8. Ch 8: Are going to fade over time

**Until the Day, Chapter 8**

He wasn't dying. She wasn't dying and they were both healthy, warm and happy.

But maybe a part of him should have felt guilty? It had to be wrong to be this blissful. Something _had_ to go wrong because it wasn't _normal_. He wasn't this happy since he was a kid, since before he took on the weight of world—before he realized growing up was about growing apart. Ash's breath stifled in his chest while he leaned over, kissing her brow, before slipping out of the covers and trying to find his shorts.

Well, at least Ash would forever remember their first time having been in a motel room only about a block from the hospital. Getting to the gym quickly meant taking a taxi, and even in his hormonal driven state, he wasn't going to put himself, or Misty into any danger. Instead, he threw her onto the first bed money could buy, and it was _romantic_ and _wild_ , and by Misty's standards _a little crazy_.

A few months ago, he wouldn't have dreamed of it; he might have even felt like he was taking advantage of her, but now, after spending almost a year together, it seemed natural. It seemed _normal_ , and Ash really loved her.

Plus, he was sure that if he didn't die at the hospital, Xerneas' _message_ was nothing more than an empty threat. If anything, the pokemon was probably referring to what Ash's life _was like_ , the years he put into his journey—what his life became after he and Misty's falling out.

If that's what it was, Ash could live; in fact, he had _no problem_ giving those memories up in favor for the ones he had now. And if he was wrong... well, there was no point in delaying the inevitable, even if for a very short while—he was going to be happy; live every moment with a smile on his face, and forever helping the world, and protecting his friends—protecting Misty. Even if the legendary pokemon came to him now to collect his life; Ash was sure he would win anyways. He couldn't leave Misty. Not now. He would be at her side until the day she died. Only, he hoped that would be a lot further away this time around.

 **XOX**

In the two years following the false allegations trial that Daisy dropped; the four sisters moved back into the gym together, Misty reinstated their rights as gym leaders only so long as they actually _helped._ Because of their helpfulness and retraining, they offered to manage the gym in the off season; therefore, Ash could steal Misty for months at a time for adventures of all kinds.

The first six months were spent traveling Kalos again—a place Misty had always wanted to see and explore, and it also gave Ash the chance to find mega stones for his fully evolved pokemon in preparation of the Master's Cup. Misty saw the Prism Tower, Ash introduced her to his traveling companions from Kalos, and they had a large dinner together in celebration. After their travels in Kalos—she returned for the seasonal matches at the gym, that Ash returned weekly, but often used her busy schedule as a time frame to see his mom, visit old friends, and prepare for the next Masters Cup while Misty well well on her way to being declared the newest Water Pokemon Master of the Kanto region—no thanks to him.

After the first year, life was wonderful. Normal.

Eventually, they moved passed the awkward faze; which was essentially Ash checking in on her every ten minutes when he left on his own travels occasionally. However, she would sooner lose an arm than see him settle down. Evidently, they fought, like normal couples do; complained about too much time spent away, and made up with ice cream and cliché television, odd apologies, and occasionally an over-whelming night of passion.

If Ash wasn't mentally scarred by the vision of her dying body, he might have even at one point forgotten what life was like _before_ now. However, he could never forget about the time before he and Misty were dating happily and attending every league gathering together, and friends weddings and dinner parties. Because no matter how happy he was, it somehow felt... _off._

Sometimes, when he would close his eyes and see her, she looked like the happy, sane Misty he knew well; and other times, she looked weepy, and tired, and bruised.

" _I love you."_ he once mumbled from across the campfire they shared with his pokemon and new companions, which resulted in a pikachu flying at his head, and a scorched woman.

And of course, some days were harder than others...

The last two years flew as if her were in a blur. The physical and mental emotion were present, and real; but that never stopped them from moving forward. Three years from the day Ash arrived in this new time, Ash woke up before day break, stretching in his sleeping bag that he shared with Misty. It was still chilly out, with the sun bleeding through the horizon in slivers. IN an attempt to warm up, he nuzzled into Misty's back, immediately waking her up with fluttering eyelids.

"'morning." she uttered, turning to face him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders while he squeezed her body next to hers. Silently, they laid like that for awhile.

Many mornings were spent in the calm comfort of each others arms, only, Ash struggled to remember many of them now. Days meshed into one another, and he could only assume that was what it felt like to be happy. Or in love. Or both.

"...mm what time is it?" She hummed into his chest eventually while she nuzzled her bare arms into the quilted sleeping back below a maple tree.

"Five?" Ash mumbled, "Maybe."

"Why in the world are you awake so early?" She whined in protest of the cold. "Go back to sleep."  
"I can't, Misty." Ash muttered, sitting up, though she objected by sinking lower into the sleeping bag. "The new qualifying matches for the next World Cup are out—you know we need to attend them all."

"You don't need to _attend them all_." she groaned, huffing. Ash felt her breath against his side and chuckled, brushing her hair with his fingers.

"Well, I want to." He clarified, listening to her groan beside his thigh while he slowly unzipped the sleeping bag and removed her cover. She wasn't please with his sudden actions. In fact, her glare brought a nervous grin to his face while she sat up, revealing her red tank top and frazzled hair to the world.

"One more hour?"  
"No can do. We need to get to Sunnyshore city before noon, and it's still a few hours walk from here." He knew that a part of her hated how early he woke up when he had business to attend to. It was unnatural in comparison to his moody, long-sleeping days as a child.

"But it's coooold." Misty groaned loudly while she tugged on the sleeping bag to bring it back up to her shoulders and curl into a ball. Without warning, Ash pulled the bag from her fingers and she rolled out onto the cold dirt. Proudly wearing a playful smirk Ash leaned over to help her up.

"C'mon, you're looking forward to seeing me battle, Miss Water Pokemon Master." He grinned, kissing her forehead while her nose crinkled, and she smiled up at him.

"I _am_ , but it would be so much faster if we could take a train—or a car, or something."

Ash snorted. "Walking is good for you." He mumbled while collecting himself. As he jumped into his shoes, he poked at pikachu who was just as opposed to waking up as Misty was while he trailed off to take care of his own business. In the distance, he could hear the pokemon protest while Misty tugged on her coat and shoes and took refuge on a lonely tree stump near their camp. It was sort of like old times, only without Brock, and his back ached from sleeping on the ground, and they weren't fighting all the time.

...it was familiar, and new.

When he returned, Misty was as good as new. Her yellow sweater was draped over her shoulders in preparation for the cold nature of Sinnoh, their sleeping bag was rolled up, and she was yawning and rubbing her legs with her bare hands.

"I told you that you should have brought warmer clothes." He scolded her while she shrugged into her sweater's collar.

"Yeah, well I didn't think we would be waking up this early, either." She snapped, knowing the afternoon weather was warm enough. "...You're really warm." She hummed, nuzzling into his side when he came near. He pat her hair affectionately, growing used to how often she would leave it down.

They stayed like that for a bit, her shoulder pressed into his stomach, her head leaned against his chest while he brushed the strands of her hair back and sighed mirthfully. What a good day to be alive! Pikachu hobbled to his ankle and looked up at his trainer with tired eyes while Ash latched onto Misty's upper back and brought her to her feet.

"Let's go, then!" Ash nearly shouted while he led-forced-the team down the path. Misty sighed, following groggily behind him while a dense, morning fog threatened their eye sight. Under the tree where they slept, there wasn't as much murky weather, protected by the low hanging branches of the forest.

"I really think we should wait, Ash. The fog is pretty thick through here." She noticed how litle they could see while snatching his wrist with her cold hands and stuffing her fingers into his warm sleeve. Ash looked over his shoulder at her, and rolled his eyes boldly.

"There's nothing to worry about, this trail is practically-" He looked around once again, recalling the specific density of the forest, and stopped walking. He as in Sinnoh before, when it happened. On a day much like this.

"What day is it?"

"Uhh, Thursday?" Misty suggested, looking at him curiously.

"I mean the date, what _date_?"  
"Pika, pikachu." The mouse replied and the color in Ash's face whitened.

"Actually, Misty, you're right, I think we should stay here for awhile." How stupid! He lost track of time, and they were in the middle of no where! Actually, being in the middle of nowhere might have been favorable instead of being near moving cars, or people in general.

"What?" She snorted. "C'mon, Ash, I was just kidding, we can still get to Sunnyshore city."

"No, it's okay." Urgently, Ash dragged her to the tree line. "Let's just sit for awhile, please?" he asked, and Misty's eyes narrowed.

"What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing." he said calmly, _too_ calmly. He was being unusual, which meant that naturally, Misty jerked away from him.

"No, it's not nothing; remember the whole communications thing; you tell me what's wrong, I tell you what's wrong? Don't blow me off."  
Ash rolled his eyes, immediately setting off Misty's rage sensors. "It's not like that, Misty; I am cold, too, and besides, I'd rather spend some time with you today."

"Why?" she snapped immediately and Ash licked his lips, trying to grab her, but she wouldn't let him. He was in no mood for her games! A mischievous glint took cover in her eyes as she glared at him.

"Misty, _please_." he urged her but she shrugged, a mischievous grin over her lips when she snatched his hat from his head.

"If you can catch me!" She cheered, then turned away from him suddenly, and started off into the dense fog where she immediately disappeared.

"Misty!" He shouted.

At his feet, pikachu looked worriedly at his trainer while Ash barreled into the fog after Misty. He had _no reason_ to be so worried! She was a great trainer, an amazing athlete, and was more than capable of taking care of herself. However...she was exactly that before. As a result, pikachu tried to reason with Ash who shook the mouse off and struggled to find the words to explain himself, just that he _had to find her_.

"Misty, this is no time to be playing games! Come back here!" He shouted, looking around to no avail; he could hardly see his hand extended in front of him, there was no way he could see Misty. Then, he heard her giggling, and his rage boiled over.

"It's not funny!" He shouted after her, following her laugh, only for it to become silent as he waved his hands around to grab for her. He waited to move again until she called after him.

"Ashhh~" She hummed, and his heart fell.

"C'mon, Mist, I don't want to play right now." he muttered urgently, but she couldn't hear him over her own giggles.

"You always want to."

"Not right now."

"Well I didn't want to get out of bed."

"That's different!" he snapped angrily, and Misty fell silent again while he fell forward onto his knees and brushed strands of hair from his face. He felt so cold here, uncertain and tired.

"...Mist', please come here." he pleaded into the fog, and only seconds later, Misty emerged, chest heaving while she knelt beside him, and placed his cap back onto his head.

"Okay." She said quietly, smiling before his panicked look filled her vision, and she was left with his arms wrapped around her torso-his entire body nearly engulfing hers.

"...It's okay." Misty uttered finally, patting his back while he nuzzled into her neck and exhaled.

"Can we just stay here, like this today?" He questioned and while Misty felt worry envelope her heart as she shared concerned glances with pikachu; she nodded.

"Of course."

 **XOX**

He couldn't explain it, not to her, or pikachu, why he was so determined to sit through this day. Surprisingly, she didn't pester him about it, and they spent the day swapping stories—occasionally spit—and talking about strategies in battle. This time around, greninja was going to Ash's secret weapon. Being that Misty was a water pokemon master, she helped Ash through some kinks, and his pikachu and greninja combination was going to dominated in the Masters Cup.

Other than the fact that Ash refused to leave her side unless she needed lady time, it was essentially a normal day for them, like many others. Night came quickly, and like the night before, they decided against a campfire only because they didn't want to spark a forest fire, collect the wood—and they were warm sitting together inside their sleeping bag against the tree. Pikachu sat in their lap, receiving warm scratches from Misty while the night closed.

"So... are you going to tell me what that was about earlier?" Curiosity inflicted her words while she peered at him, watching his expression drop quickly as he looked down, then away.

"I don't really want to." he admit, though after spending three years with her, it was about time that he _did_ tell her something. Especially today—if they made it to midnight, he would. That was the deal he promised himself years ago, and he would keep to it.

She scoffed unpleasantly. "Okay." She mumbled, keeping her lips pursed.

"I will, just...not right now, okay?" Ash smiled, looking at her with such sincerity, she couldn't hold a grudge. So instead, she nodded.

"Okay."

Then, they waited. Minutes turned to hours, and while Misty gently fell asleep from boredom or exhaustion, his eyelids never grew heavy, but he grew more anxious with each passing minute they grew closer to midnight. What if something happened now? Today was the day she... Certainly, Xerneas wasn't so cruel that he would give Ash three, wonderful years only to rip it away at the last minute—was it even right for Ash to still be paranoid? He survived death time and again, Misty was happy, healthy, and _normal_ , and they led a decent living. It wasn't perfect, he still got on Misty's nerves, and occasionally she got onto all of his—but that was life.

Life was about the good, and the bad, and everything in between. Even the bad parts were good if he had Misty; he just needed more patience some times.

The clock ticking fifteen minutes until midnight; and petrified he would rocket back through time to the hell he was living in before, or spontaneously implode, he shook Misty awake.

"Mmm." She groaned, turning away from him, he shook her again until her tired, bloodshot eyes faced him.

"W _hat_?" She growled and with a quivering lip, Ash kissed her, and held her forehead to his own.

"No matter what happens, I love you, and I know this sounds cheesy and cliché but I wouldn't be who I am without you. I _need_ you, Mist, you're the other part of me I didn't know I was missing." He started to laugh awkwardly by the end of his sentence, and nervously, she started to look around in fear.

"Is something going to happen?" Her eyes shifted back to his. "What's going on?

"...I just wanted you to know that you're amazing, as a person, a best friend, a woman; a girlfriend and I couldn't imagine a day without you in it."

Now, the gut wrenching sensation in his stomach was mostly in due to the fear that swarmed her cerulean green eyes, and she swallowed hard against the lump in her throat while pikachu curled up affectionately into her lap—while the pokemon had no memory of Ash's experience, it felt what Ash felt, and if pikachu was catching a wave of his infliction; she was indeed worried.

Finally, her gaze softened into one of acceptance. "You... are either about to propose to me, or about to tell me you're dying—so cut the bull shit, Ash. You get like this too much, just tell me what's going on with you."

His face flushed at the suggestion of an engagement. After getting her back and having her, he hadn't even considered an engagement a possibility, in fact, he felt a bit guilty that it wasn't the case—he might have even lied to her if he wasn't preparing for the inevitable. In fact, he swore if they made it through the night and safely to Sunnyshore city, he would probably ask the very next day to make up for all of this confusion, the many times he would suddenly become possessive and weird so she wouldn't run off without thinking. It was as if their roles were reversed, Ash was the cryptic, worried one, and Misty kept telling him to relax.

"Do you remember when I told you I had a nightmare that you died?" He asked finally, and her shoulders fell very slowly.

"..Yeah, that was like two years ago... You're not still bothered by that, are you?"

"No... well," he cleared his throat, "Yes." He said, smiling at her; heart breaking as he revealed the truth he held from her for years.

"You got into a bad accident, and we weren't on very good terms and... you were dying. Getting worse everyday and there was nothing the doctors could do for you. Nothing I could do for you. I...ran away to find a solution instead of staying with you and..."

"...and that happened today?" The clear skepticism in her tone kept his voice low.

"Yeah. But technically...three years ago...?" Ash mumbled, Misty's face scrunched up.

"How?"

"I'm not from this timeline?" He offered, smiling at her and her lips made an 'o' shape. Aside from sounding crazy, it did make some sense in regard to how much he knew and how he acted. "I got sent back here for a price and... I still don't know entirely what that price is—Xerneas said I could save you if I gave up..." He stopped, watching her expression while she egged him on, intrigued by his story.

"Gave up what?"

Ash cleared his throat, breaking eye contact. "My life?"

Misty chuckled sardonically. "Your _life_?" She hissed, blinking the humor fleeting when she realized he wasn't joking.

In fact, she looked appalled. "So you gave up everything to come back and _save_ me from an _accident_?"

Ash looked back up at her, nodded very slowly and for a brief minute, the flood gates opened and she looked sincerely touched by his commitment. She sucked in her lips, tears swelling at the corner of her eyes and Ash thought she was going to hug him when her hand rose from the blankets, but she shoved him hard instead.

"Stupid!" She shouted and Ash sat forward, eyes wide open.

"What?" He shrieked watching as her fingers looped around his arm and she brought his face in close to hers, to make a point.

"Don't you _ever_ give up your life to save mine." She scolded and Ash blinked.

"Well...I think he just meant the life I had after I won the Master's cup."

"You won the Master's cup?" Misty gasped and Ash shifted uncomfortably, and nodded.

"It was just a title, one I could win again, and if not—that's okay, too. You're more important than-"

"I don't care!" She shouted and Ash blinked at her sudden accusation. "What about everything else that happened? All the lives you changed in the years after that? You gave all of that up for me because of an _accident_ and you aren't even _sure_ now if the consequences are happening? What if you died now, huh? How do you think I would feel!?"

"I—You'd be alive at least."

"But you'd be dead!" She screamed, throwing her arms up. Had it not been so cold, she would have started pacing, but the bitter cold kept her stationary, and the winds chill caused shivers to run through her. Ash stopped, and looked away from her shamefully.

"Everything happens for a reason, Ash, you can't change things just because it's _hard_!"

"Hard?" Ash snapped in response. "You were _dying_!" He yelped, grabbing her hands and she jerked out of his grip.

"So? People die _all the time_ , that's life!"

"But it wasn't _fair_ , Misty! You didn't deserve to-" He winced, and Misty poked him in the chest to keep his attention on her.

"I'm a big girl, Ash, I always have been. I can take care of myself and if I made poor decisions that ended in a horrible accident that was _my fault_. Not yours."

"But it was!"

"How?"

"I stopped talking to you, Misty! I wasn't there when your sisters sued you, and you found this jerk of a-"

"That doesn't matter; you don't control my life!" She insisted, grabbing his shoulders warmly. He at least had some control—look at how happy they were now. Couldn't she see that?

"I mean, really, Ash, was it all bad, or just a little? Or were you more guilty you weren't in my life anymore? There had to have been good things about my life, too."

"But I saw... Xerneas showed me..."

"Glimpses?" Misty asked too quickly, and Ash looked up at her with watery eyes.

"What about the small moments? Like two days ago when we had ice cream; or a week ago when Brock called? You don't control that—you weren't around for four years before coming back after the Master's cup, and I was managing fine—I have lots of cool stories from then. Something _horrible_ happened...but that doesn't mean it's your fault, and it doesn't mean you have to trade your life to fix it. Stop being such a weirdo about these things. Even if that was real, it's not anymore."

His mouth opened to protest, but he wasn't sure what to tell her.

"They were _my_ decisions. Not yours. Even if you had been around, I might have still made them because we didn't know the future then, did we?"

Ash sniffled at her words, lips quivering while he grabbed her into a warm hug, and buried his face into her neck, tears streaming down his cheeks, and wetting her sweater.

"I don't want to lose you again." He whined, and Misty stroked the length of his back, from his shoulder blades, to his lower back and breathed with him.

"You won't."

"You don't know that." Ash whined, and Misty forced a smile.

"...I'll still be here when you wake up." She reassured him, listening to the young man cry until the wee hours of the night, and sleep eventually took him.

 **XOX**

Ash woke up in a complete panic, startled and wide-eyed and grabbing for Misty who wasn't where she was supposed to be. He fell asleep!

"Misty!" He shouted, jolting forward to see her sitting at the middle of the path with pikachu beside her, starting a fire.

"Good morning." She called to him, watching him rub his eyes as he made his way to her and pikachu. The weather was better today, the sun even broke over the horizon and he smiled affectionately at her.

"Hey." he said happily while she poked the low fire with a stick, and pikachu grinned at him.

"Hey." She called back, before a silence enveloped them.

"So, I was thinking about what you said last night." She announced, and Ash looked at her worriedly.

".My sisters didn't sue me, I have the gym, my title—you know, everything I've sort of always dreamed of." She smiled at him and he nodded.

"And you have a great battling career, and the Master's cup is in a few months—but as I was sitting here, watching the sun rise and listening to the birds, I thought about everything." She paused for a long time.

"How...perfect things seem to have become; how easy it's been to live the last few _years_." The way she spoke sent a chill down his spine while Ash took a collective seat beside her. She didn't look up from the burning embers.

"Since three years ago, I knew something was off, and for the _longest time_ I thought it was you; you were weird, and mature, and surprisingly charming when you wanted to be...I just thought that..."

While she spoke, Ash looked up at her while she pursed her lips, then looked down at him. "Everything worked out perfectly."

"So?" Ash questioned.

"Well, I was thinking about _what_ Xerneas is, a magical pokemon who is said to share eternal life with those who find it—but he doesn't have any time-molding abilities, at least, not to researchers knowledge."

Ash blinked a few times at her. "What are you saying?"

"You still feel it everyday, don't you? That sense of overwhelming dread that fills your chest, spreads from your heart, into the back of your throat, to the spot between your knees."

Ash blinked at her, confused.

"So that's just me then?" Misty asked and Ash's dull expression fell immediately, realizing what was happening.

"It's probably good you didn't tell me right away, you know. I thought they were bad dreams at first, too."

Ash's heart raced in his chest while Misty spoke, poking at the first that never seemed hot enough. "Have you realized how obscure our time together has been; one day feels like a month; years felt like seconds?"

Ash looked down at pikachu who hadn't been his usual self in awhile, but always supportive, and Ash lowered his head into his palms.

"I was happy Ash, I'm happy now but-"

"No!" Ash said suddenly grabbing her shoulders. " _No_."

Misty smiled. "I know one of us isn't where we're supposed to be."  
"No! You're wrong!" Ash screamed while she leaned forward to place a kiss on his head before everything disappeared in a quick spiral and Ash was left feeling like a pile of dirt, ran over six times as darkness consumed him.

It wasn't supposed to be like this! They weren't supposed to—she wasn't supposed to. Oh _god_ , what was wrong with him?

….they were supposed to be together until the day...

 **XOX**

"And Misty Waterflower takes the match! We have our new Water Pokemon Master!"

Ash remembered from the time he was small, he wanted the girl he fell in love with to be amazing. To be kind, and gentle—actually, he wanted someone who mimicked his mother; wouldn't argue with him everyday. As anyone could imagine, the day Ash Ketchum realized he was in love with the silver tongued, sarcastic, bluntly rude and overly honest best friend, who couldn't cook for her life and spent more time working than she did on her make up and hair—well, he was as surprised as anyone.

He never imagined the girl that he would fall in love with would be exceptionally everything he didn't want in his life. Headstrong, stubborn, obscene and a little unorthodox, but become everything he needed.

...He also didn't expect that he would fall in love with someone he could never have.

She won the title of master shortly after their last meeting at the gym, where he said they could never be friends—but secretly wished he had stuck around. They were past the point of publicly insulting one another, but unless some generous soul opened a portal into some unobtainable land, they would never be friends again. Ash could only hope that someday, they could rekindle their friendship—once the burning hole in his chest stopped hurting, of course.

Ash destroyed that ship, then stepped on it several times; all with the help of his angry redhead. They were a match made in heaven, if heaven was full of small devils and heart breakers.

Ash watched the screen quietly from the corner store where they sold televisions. It was cold in Kanto the night she was declared a master, and while Ash would have wanted to be there to celebrate for her as she was for him; he settled on a letter instead; one that he folded and refolded a million times, and still had crunched in his pocket.

"...Congratulations, Misty."

 **Author's Note** :

-hides from the lynching-

WELL, it's less dramatic than I was going to have it originally. BEFORE, I was going to have where she died again, but I kind of like how 'realization' settled in before that, especially because I've been hinting at it through the story (seriously, did anyone notice? XD) There was one reviewer who asked not to send them back to that 'horrible reality' but... ;w; was this really that surprising? I need to work on my foreshadowing. Either its too obvious, or you're pulling at straws.

Anyways, two more chapters. DO YOU GUYS WANT A SAD ENDING OR A HAPPY ENDING? (I already have it written, but it would be nice to know so I can weep with you)


	9. Ch 9: As long as we live, time passes by

**Until The Day, Chapter 9**

Sometime before deciding he would tell her only after he became a pokemon master, his first Freudian slip occurred when she was crumpled over the back deck and pulling at the flowers. Ash did not know that Misty's parents had passed away until they were late in their teens. He remembered asking her so sincerely what happened to them, and she yelled at him for being so insensitive!

 _How could you ask me that_! She screamed before launching an apple at his head from across the kitchen. Had anyone else been around at the time, they probably would have informed him that it was notpolite to ask about such things, especially after mocking said parents in an attempt to burn her. Without any guidance, he was confused as to what he did.

Back then, he did not understand the issue—how badly it hurt. Ash had never lost anyone before.

"Did you know my mom almost named me Rose?" Misty spoke. It was not a question, even Ash could understand that. What was it that Brock called them? Rhetorical questions? While while to the back deck, his eyes shifted back and forth. He looked left, then right, then back at Misty who exhaled and finally pat the porch deck beside her for him to sit while she elaborated.

"Daisy has blonde hair like a daisy, Lily has pink hair like some lilies, and Violet had purple-blue hair like violets—do you see where I'm going with this?" Ash shook his head.

"Since I was a redhead, my mom was going to name me Rose." Misty announced boldly, kicking her feet out. "But my dad said to her one day that I cried too much and my eyes were always _misty_ , and I kept them up all hours of the night both when she was pregnant with me _and_ after I was born. My sisters complained that my mother used to cry all the time when she was pregnant with me, too, but I don't know how much of that is true..." While she spoke, a spark formed in her eyes, which traveled the distance of her nose, forcing her frowned lips to twitch into a subtle grin, and Ash found himself grinning with her.

Misty's smile was always contagious. "I never thought you would be a crier, Mist." He joked, nudging her arm while she rolled her eyes.

"Anyways, they settled on Misty."

"And what happened to _Rose_?" Ash inquired, leaning forward while she looked away from him. Ash narrowed his eyes.

"...A middle name?" He asked, watching her eyes turn from him.

"Don't tell anyone." She warned him, holding a finger up to his face; and then smiled. "...There was also another reason we didn't."

Ash watched her hand as she lowered it back to the porch, and then her face. "My mother's name was Rose, because she had red hair, like me."

A silence fell between them, and Ash raised his eyebrows. He was not sure what to say to her. Would it have been appropriate to ask if she would have rather had her mother's name? That way she could always remember her after her tragic passing? Once again, the urge to ask what happened curved at the tip of his tongue, but he held it and blurted the next best thing.

"My mom named me after my dad." _Perhaps the next worst thing_.

"Really?" She puzzled, eyes wide, and Ash nodded, looking a little apathetic, then energetic, and finally playful.

"But you have to guess first." he said while watching her bloodshot eyes as they focused in on him for the first time.

She peered into his brown eyes, a look that usually intimated him into throwing out a snide remark just so she would look away... but he could see that they were puffy, and he knew that she had been crying and wasn't going to stop until she cracked _one_ sincere smile. It was his fault, so by nature, he should cheer her up. That was his job as her friend.

"I am not!" Finally she answered and jerked away from him as Ash shrugged.

"Then I guess I can't tell you." He challenged her, and Misty cocked her jaw to one side.

"Fine. Your middle name is Ash Pokemon Ketchum."

Ash raised his eyebrows, confused at first, then watched her grin tug from ear to ear and disbelief muddled his senses while she explained.

"Because your dad was probably a pokemon—it would explain your personality!" She yelped watching his expression change from confusion to absolute horror while he playfully swat her arm and nudged her roughly.

"That's messed up!" He cried at her while she attempted to hop down from the porch, but Ash snagged her arm and dragged her to the wooden floor with him, following a giggling fit while he settled into a silent hum beside her; watching her face while she looked up at the sky above them.

"I'm sorry I got so upset, I don't usually get like that... it's just..." She paused for a very long time, and Ash, in his young teenage mind, thought she might have zoned out until:

"Today's the day my parents died." she said flatly.

Quietly, he watched her expression unsure if he should reach out to her, applaud her strength, or apologize for bringing it up. It wasn't like he knew, today was the day he came home from the Sinnoh league, it wasn't like he planned to be home _today_. Instead, he leaned on his hand.

"I don't have one."

"One of what?" Misty asked while blinking stray tears away before they fell and staring at him with wide green eyes while he pursed his lips.

"A middle name."

"But you said—" She stopped, realization sinking in. "- _oh_ , I'm sorry."

Ash smiled at her, gazing into her eyes for a long time. "He left before I was born. My mom obviously wasn't very happy."

"I guess so. I didn't know... Does it ever bother you?" She asked looking up at him with sincerity he didn't know could exist in her eyes, and he swore at himself for getting so close to her. Her lips were only inches from his, her tilt the perfect angle to steal a sweet kiss, but the time was wrong; her heart was still hammering in her chest, and her eyes were still murky.

"...sometimes." he admit honestly for the first time in years, eyes falling from hers to her pink lips.

"Why don't you ever talk about it?" She asked, the part of her lips sending prickles of shivers down his back. He had to get away.

Ash brushed her hair behind her head, and ruffled her hair like he did to pikachu's fur on occasion, ending the moment before it fell into uncommon ground.

"Do you want to have a battle?"

The groan that left her brought a smile to his lips. "Is that all you think about?"

Ash looked back at her, grinning. "I think of...other stuff." He offered weakly and Misty nodded.

"Really? Like what." by the time she posed the question, they were sitting up again, looking into the meadow before them.

Ash stopped, listened to his mother talk to Professor Oak about Mr. Mime's strange behavior, and Brock who was whining about his departure to the Johto region soon and his face screwed up. He thought about a lot of things he didn't tell people about—failures, victories, life after battling, unobtainable goals, traveling alone... Ash inhaled.

"How much I like you?" He said quickly, quietly, and all the while leaping from the porch and leaving Misty in a state of oblivious confusion. For awhile, he thought he might face her, but chickened out in the end.

 _"What?!"_ She croaked, knowing that she heard him wrong. He threw his arms up at her.

"C'mon, _Misty_ , are you going to sit up there all day and cry or are you going to battle me? I was almost a champion you know!"

He didn't need to watch the rage boil into her eyes while she jumped forward. "I'm going to sweep the floor with you, Ketchum!"

 **XOX**

Delusions—hallucinations-were normal in a time of great distress. A delirious moment of weakness that gripped the edge of sanity in attempt to keep the world at peace, where it should be. Ash was never a man who found false solutions, or ran from his problems; so his surprise at waking up in the very same hospital he remembered from what he _declared_ was a nightmare was the equivalent of pikachu shocking him several hundred times, being shot, or the life breaking news he was given only days ago.

Tears immediately stung his eyes, but he refused to let them fall in fear of scaring his mother who sat beside him. The body and mind's natural reaction to any unfavorable situation was to recreate, disturb what was really there in the mind's best attempt of _understanding_ a situation.

….but what he had just gone through was cruel, and wrong, and so very frustrating he wanted to scream. Then, when his eyes adjusted, he realized right away that one of them was swollen nearly completely shut and under the bright shade of the red curtain hanging over the window he could see his mother's puffy eyes and quivering lips. How much pain had she gone through now? First Misty was...and now he was laying in a hospital bed.

How uncharacteristically selfish...

Brock tapped his heel against the tile floor, listening to the nurses move up and down the hallway. It was the first time Ash could say that he didn't see Brock attempt to hit on someone. Things must have looked pretty bad. Even, Pikachu, who was curled onto his chest—not realizing it hurt more than Ash could explain—didn't realize what was happening.

The cues where there, time was fleeting, moments were too perfect, and the answers were all too easy. Ash should have known better; and apart of him did know. He simply didn't want to believe it. Ash wanted to see her smile again; maybe a part of him wanted to see himself smile honestly, pretend this awful nightmare wasn't...Ash swallowed.

He imagined it all; and for what? To hide from the inevitable? He choked on his sore throat to keep his tears at bay, then blinked furiously when Delia and Brock moved into a slow hover while his breathing stalled.

"...Hey mom." He muttered, his voice scratchy while she looked down at him in a complete panic that faded into a sudden sigh.

"Oh, Ash, you're alright." She expressed, falling back into her chair with a satisfied sigh.

"Yeah." Ash muttered aloud, but he was far from _alright_. They had no idea where he had been, if any of it was real or that he imagined it all.

"What happened, man?" Brock asked, rushing to him as pikachu perked up on his chest and started whining in worry—a very normal reaction. "The police found you beaten up; who did this to you?"

"An asshole." Ash muttered, forcing himself to sit up, only to realize he felt worse than he looked. Luckily, his mental anguish still outweighed the physical damage to his body, so while he sat up, he ignored the possible rib injuries and forced a smile to his two visitors. Since his mother didn't correct him for his language, he knew he had to be beaten pretty badly.

"I feel like I've been hit by a truck." He observed, noting the swelling in his face, the feeling of a busted lip; the pain shooting everywhere else in his body.

"That's what it looks like. God, Ash, you don't need to protect the guy that did this." Brock said affirmatively, apparently sick and tired of watching his friends get hurt. "It was that stupid fiance, wasn't it? Out for a little revenge? Pssh, just because he's a lawyer doesn't mean he's above the law!"

Brock punched the wall with the flat of his fist in an uncommon outburst of rage that made the three waters jump and settle down. Delia fanned for Brock to sit, indicating that he should calm down—but Ash knew that feeling well enough. He was angry, too.  
"...eh, I probably deserved it." Ash muttered, though he knew that he didn't, not really. "Have I been here the whole time?" Ash asked in a daze while Delia and Brock nodded.

"The last twelve hours, at least, you were unconscious when we found you." His mother explained, taking his hand and stroking from the wrist to the finger tip, checking his pulse, assuring herself that he was _really_ okay.

Eventually, that movement brought a crack to her motherly facade, and tears streamed down her face while she held the flat of her hand to her face and started bawling. It had to have been horrible for her, Ash was laying half-dead for what felt like three years for him, but was only a few hours few hours for her, and Misty was just down the hallway, in worse condition.

"How's Misty?" Ash finally asked, feeling worse now that he spent _twelve_ hours playing house in his imagination. Of course, it made sense now why everything worked out; why her life was so perfect—Mew, he probably didn't really see Xerneas, either. Some pipe dream invented by a desperate hero. Ash inhaled, and looked up at Brock who looked down at him, then took a seat, he couldn't find it in him to answer, but Delia, through her tears, croaked again and Ash could only nod quietly.

"I'm..." he said, awkwardly pulling on the IV poking in his arm. Neither Brock or Delia moved to stop him while he shifted out of the hospital bed in his small gown with pikachu at his side determined.

"I'm going to go see her now." Calmly, Ash left the plug and walked barefoot through the white door. Least they matched now. He looked how he felt. Suiting, given he was saying goodbye to his best friend.

However, as he neared the familiar room, hobbling down the hallway with one confident step at a time, he stopped at the appearance of three girls staring into her room, sobbing. Ash stiffened his lip, and approached them.

"'Ey." Ash introduced himself, and the sisters looked at him crookedly, then started wiping their tears. They didn't have to say anything while they looked at Misty's graying skin, and the heart monitor beeping slower every second. There was nothing they could say.

"She loved you guys." Ash managed, rubbing the back of his neck. It was enough to send Daisy into sobs, and Lily into shakes Violet shook her head.

"How can you say that? I'm the reason she's in here." She croaked and Ash scoffed politely.

"There seems to be a lot of self-blaming going around lately." He replied, and Violet looked at him, through him.

"You don't understand what happened! I screwed up. And now... and now-!" She explained breaking into a violent turmoil of tears while Ash, unsure of what to do, pat Violet on the arm while her sisters swarmed her into a group hug.

"Like, next time use words, Violet."

"Next time, there isn't going to be a next time. My sister's dead!" She screamed and her legs went weak, but luckily her sisters were there to catch her. Ash wasn't sure what to feel for them, if he should feel sorry, or angry. Partially the reason was because Misty ran out of the gym after the _incident,_ but it wasn't _her_ fault. Misty made her own decisions.

"Is your mom here?" Daisy asked and Ash nodded solemnly while the eldest sister offered a weak smile. "Do you think maybe we could stop in for awhile?"

"Yeah, she'd probably like that, she's down the hall in my room." Ash pointed in the direction, and the sisters moved in a ruined flock down the hall. Violet's sobs echoed loudly through the hallway run cold jabs into his aching body while pikachu's ears lowered, and Ash exhaled loudly. When he turned from the hallway, to the mirror where he faced her again his mind froze.

Technically, they weren't supposed to enter her room, they had to watch from a distance—but really, what were they protecting? The doctors already declared her dead, or at least, they didn't care anymore. The stitches weren't healing, her body never entered remission, so in their minds, she was a write off; which meant in Ash's mind, he didn't feel guilty entering the room.

Latex gloves scent filled his nostrils in direct contrast with her natural wild berry scent when he walked in. Inside, the room was clean, untouched except for her bed and monitor. He could hear the subtle beep of the heart monitor slowly fading, and lifted the visitor's chair from beside the door, to the bed beside her. He took a seat, slumping into it with a groan. His ribs were _definitely_ broken.

A few minutes passed before he adjusted to the tongue biting, fist clutching pain in his sides, and he settled into a slow lean to her. Up and down. Up and down. Her chest rose, then fell softly, the only indication that she breathing. Long gone was her creamy pale skin, and replaced it was a graying skeleton of a woman.

Underneath that, it was still her thought.

"Hey Mist." Ash announced while straightening his back and pursing his lips at her image.

Up close, she didn't look _so_ bad. Her hair was partially shaved from the incision, and there was no telling how many cuts and bruises she had below her blanket. Her arm had been poked several times for blood tests, IV lines, and his stomach curled. Naturally, Ash tucked his hand into hers and squeezed very, _very_ gently.

"I'm sorry for not visiting sooner, I was off having an imaginary adventure with myself, _apparently_." Ash joked, feeling a bit ashamed. "I just... I miss you so much... your sarcasm, and your bravery; and I've missed that a lot longer than you've been in here." Speaking was difficult even now, his voice wavered and he watched her chest rise, then fall and quietly prayed while inhaling.

"I wasn't a good friend, I really screwed up—over something stupid, and small—when I should have just apologized for acting like a jerk. I had no reason to judge you for your date, or snap at you for doing well—or really any of the things that I did; which really don't mean much now, do they?"

He watched for a reaction, but the familiar, subtle heart beat was his only reply. "And I _know_ , I was pulling at straws to get you back; find some _magical_ solution to a very real problem." he scoffed. "It's funny how brave I am until it's someone I care about."

His eyes lifted when he looked at her again, brushing his finger along hers. "But.. and maybe I'm just going crazy, but for awhile; it felt _real_ , like you were there, and by some luck I found the answer I've been looking for—a way to save you, and to fix all of your problems and it was really nice, being with you again."

Ash rubbed his face and sighed.

"I bet if you were awake right now, you would tell me you didn't need help, and that you can take care of yourself. You'd laugh that I found the solution to _all_ of your problems—because hey, of _course_ I found the solution, it was my imagination, after all." While licking his lips, Ash smiled down at her, then kissed her forehead, lingering for a moment to fight back the feeling at the pitch of his stomach, to ignore the pain swelling in his chest.

"I don't understand why you won't open your eyes. I honestly never thought this would be happening, my best friend dying so early. I always figured, even if we still hated each other, we would die old and decrepit and throwing insults at one another across the hallway in some torn up nursing home." his brows quivered while he squeezed her hand affectionately. "It's weird knowing that... people die-that _you_ could die—and maybe it's because I've survived so many life threatening accidents that... I didn't think it was possible." Ash inhaled, blinking his tears away.

"When I first met you, I thought you were most annoying person on this planet, _Mist._ When you started following me around I thought for sure my life as a trainer was over; and then I got to know you, and we became friends, and then we grew up and everything just..."

This was a lot harder than he thought it would be, everything he was saying felt so wrong, like he was asking for forgiveness for something that outside of his power.

"I never told you back then, and maybe I should have; but you were amazing. _Powerful_ , and brave; and even if we had a weird relationship, you always kept me on my toes. A part of me was jealous, and another part of me was so proud of your accomplishments and determination. I fell in love with you when we were still kids and..."

He stopped.

"We weren't perfect. I was selfish, and jealous, and maybe a little possessive, but man, I didn't know what do with those feelings—I had never been in love, and I never thought it would be with someone so..well, _you_." Ash looked up to her gray face, where cheeks sunk into her cheek bones, and he smiled sincerely. He brought her knuckles to his lips as he leaned over, elbows dug into her bed.

"I'm _so_ sorry things weren't different between us, that I couldn't help you sooner.. I wish I had told you back then, done things differently... but we can only do our best—make our own decisions, and _sometimes_ , they aren't the best...but, _jeeze_ , what am I trying to say?"

Croaking on his thoughts and sitting back to keep his tears contained, he exhaled and bit down on his bottom lip.

"I don't know if I was going crazy, or if it was really you; but I meant it. Every word. I just wish we had longer together; it feels like our time was cut so short, and there were so many things I never got to say. I wanted things to be better between us, Misty. Like they used to be, like they could have been..." Ash inhaled, then exhaled once more; kissing her stiff hand, and setting it down before standing up, and slowly slipping away. His heart couldn't take it, how quiet she was.

"...I love you, Mist. As a friend, a best friend and as everything more." his voice hiccuped while he neared the door, taking one last look at her while he nodded very solemnly.

"...Goodbye, Misty."

 **XOX**

The hardest part of goodbyes was not saying them, it was that short moment afterwards when the realization that another goodbye would never be shared again; another hello would never take its place, and that feeling of nothingness would never fade away. It wasn't a beautiful goodbye, and it was far from temporary. It was a permanent situation he would never grow out of and so while he sat with pikachu on the metal bench outside of the hospital, he reflected for what felt like hours. On his own life, her life, on his adventures, her adventures; on everything and anything he could remember. Ash didn't want to forget her face or her smile, or the genuine warmth she radiated. He didn't want to forget _her_ , and yet, already he was forgetting the sound of her voice.

Naturally, Ash did the only thing he could think of to hear it again; he flipped on his phone, quickly moving to his voicemail application, and pressed the saved information. The personal files he would never _tell anyone_ he saved before, which were now a godsend.

" _Hey...uhh, Ash. I just.. well, I'm not sure how to start this..."_ he turned it off after that, knowing her messages started awkward, then the longer she realized he was intentionally ignoring her, the more angry they became. He didn't want to think about that right now.

 _"Wanted to say congratulations for your recent victory, your mom told me...uh, yeah. Bye."_

A click followed, and he moved to the next one, cursing himself for never calling her back. He was so scared back then—Ash wasn't good at dealing with rejection, and Misty was the first girl to ever reject him, and she was suddenly getting married, and...oh boy, if he only knew then what he knew now, things would be different.

He would be different.

 _Never give up your life for mine_. She swore at him; and while it was _his own_ representation of Misty projected from his imagination, she felt _so_ real.

A nightmare—no, it was a wonderful dream, one he would have given any amount of money in the world to see again—to hear her voice, see her smile. But that wasn't fair; he knew many people that felt the same way as he did, including the small mouse that wept on Ash's lap. During his confession, the mouse stayed quiet, at the door; but listened to every note, every beat, and it wept. Pikachu, even with pokemon, could never near a dying body, and so Ash stroked his fur reassuringly.

"I'm sorry, pikachu."  
"Chaaaa." The mouse croaked, ears flat while Ash stroked the edges of his fur with his own tears dampening his eyes.

"I don't know how we're going to do it without her. She's been a pain in my ass for as long as I can remember." He chuckled, looking down at pikachu while resting his head against the metal railing ahead of him. He felt sick again, like he would puke, but strangely calm for someone in his situation.

"God do I know it." Brock announced, approaching Ash, who sat on a bench with a cup of coffee. Ash shook his head in response, though, so the older male placed it between them.

"You know she called me last week," Brock muttered, pursing his lips while taking a sip of water. "I was in class, and told her I was busy and would call her the next day—I never did."

Ash offered a weak smile, suddenly very thirsty. He took the steaming coffee from the bench and sniffed. His stomach was still weak from the period of starving himself, and his body was still damaged from his time out.

"I'm sure she didn't hold it against you."  
"But how do you know that? What if she thought I hated her?" Brock questioned, sniffling. While Ash still had an endless supply of tears to cry, Brock was cried out; they simply clung to the corners of his eye now.

"I...just wish we could go back to how things were when we were kids, you know? Maybe things could have been different."

Ash smiled at that, and nodded his head very slowly. "I don't think so. We can't know what the future will hold."  
"But we can make better decisions!" Brock snapped, shoulders shuddering while he pinched the bridge of his nose, and Ash finally accepted, and acknowledged how deep their bonds ran. Ash wasn't the only one hurting—and he abandoned his mom, and friends, who were clearly as devastated as he was. He wasn't even sure if anyone other than the three of them knew—he never asked.

"It's not fair! She didn't deserve this, Ash!"

Unknowingly, Ash pat Brock's upper back and smiled at his friend. "Nobody does, Brock, nobody does."

"I just want her to open her eyes, scream at us that she had us fooled, you know? Make a big joke; make a lesson out of it that we shouldn't have been such assholes, Ash." Brock was sobbing now, though few tears fell from his eyes while he banged his head on the metal bar. Pikachu joined him, cuddling into his lap and patting him while Ash gripped the metal bench.

"It wasn't just our fault, you know. She made her own decisions, too." Ash mumbled. "She was an adult, she knew what she was doing... it's just unfortunate this happened—least, I think she would have said something like that." Ash quickly covered up his sentiments with a sip of black coffee that made his hair stand on end. He couldn't imagine Brock ever intentionally being mean to Misty, more than likely, Brock was just taking the situation to heart, blaming himself seemed natural.

"...But she was happy, you know?" Ash offered, watching Brock's complete distress while he continued with a shrug of his shoulders. "...maybe not always, but the bad days weren't everyday; I mean, look, she became a water pokemon master, and her reputation at the gym was phenomenal—and even if the last week, or month were hard... It couldn't have been all bad, or she would have done something about it, right?"

Brock stared at him, biting his lower lip with his face scrunched up ugly and throat closing with a lump. "You think so?"

"She was a strong gir—woman. If something was wrong, she would have fixed it." Ash assured him with a strong nod.

"For someone who was on terrible terms with her, you sure know her pretty well." Brock said calmly, swiping at his eyes. Ash smiled weakly and looked away with a passing sigh. The wind tickled his nose and a very sad smile fell over his lips.

"We've always had that in common." he said, knowing Misty had the same unfortunate Ash-translator. Brock sat up the best that he could, his shoulders were still slumped, his appearance still trashed, but he looked forward regardless.

"I'm sorry, listen to me complain—I can't imagine how you feel, Ash."

"Like getting stabbed?" Ash asked sarcastically, "or like being split down the center?" he nudged Brock, and set the vile coffee onto the concrete below and shook his head.

"Its hard for all of us."  
"...I haven't even called anyone else yet—I don't know how to."

"Hey," Ash said optimistically. "Maybe we won't have to?" He smiled, though, it was clear that Brock didn't share the blind optimism.

"Have you said your goodbyes?" Brock managed, and Ash bit the inside of his cheek and nodded.

"...Yeah."

"You know, I'm sure you two would have made up. She said she was still furious with you at times, but she still always talked about your accomplishments. You both had that in common, too." Brock muttered and Ash scoffed in response.

"Yeah, I figured it was something like that." Ash looked down while he spoke and kicked his bare feet against the concrete quietly. The wind picked up, and Ash inhaled. Misty would never sit through another Cerulean autumn again, she would never feel the wind on her skin, or the chill of a breeze up her back.

"...pika..." the mouse whined for Ash while the raven-haired man glared seriously at Brock.

"I had a dream that I saved her, you know? Xerneas appeared and, man, I can't believe I thought it was real." Ash exhaled, grabbing the railing in front of him.

Brock smiled boldly. "I haven't dreamed that I've saved her, but I've had a lot of dreams where this whole day was a nightmare. That I wake up on my couch and this never happened; and when I race to the phone to call Misty, it's 3:00am, and she yells at me for waking her up so late."

Ash laughed honestly at that, and smiled while looking at the rose bushes below. "Glad I'm not the only one going crazy."  
"I think we all go a little crazy sometimes."

Again, a long pause formed between them, and Ash sighed, leaning against his hands and dipping his face low so Brock couldn't see him.

"She once said everything happens for a reason." Brock choked on his tears, salty drops falling down his cheek while he shuddered violently. "But I can't see a reason for this! she should be sitting here with us, making jokes and fighting with you—and man, how did it get so bad?"

Ash wasn't sure what to say, only that his own tears finally overflowed, pouring like waterfalls from his eyes while his knuckles turned while from his grip on the bench.

"It's okay, Brock." Ash lied, grabbing his friends back and gripping his shirt while Brock crumpled into his knees and Ash looked up at the blue sky, recalling all the times it was just the three of them and the open road. What he would give for...

The doors flung open from the hospital, and both Ash and Brock turned to face Delia who had fresh streaks of tears down her cheeks, and a brutally pained expression on her face and Ash's heart sunk.

 _No_. _Not today._

 **Author's Note** :

Originally, the flashback was after the actual story—but I wasn't sure about fluidity, so I put it back at the top; but I felt like it was important to bring some 'hindsight' into Misty's sort of explanation to Ash that everything happens for a reason.

ANYWHO. I'M JUST GOING TO BE OVER HERE, CRYING.

DON'T MIND ME.


	10. Ch 10: We don't get it back when we die

**Until the Day, Chapter 10**

Misty was six when her mother died.

"...Daisy...when people die, where do they go?" She asked, holding Daisy's hand while staring glumly at the grave site before her. Her older sister, whose tears fell from her eyes in heavy drops clung to Misty's hand while the pastor spoke in tongues.

"...Why isn't mom getting up, Daisy?" Misty asked again, though Daisy fell to her knees shortly after to hug Misty tightly while Lily and Violet both looked sick.

"...I don't get it..." Misty whined, looking at the beautiful, mahogany casket at the center of a large crowd.

 **XOX**

Delia stared at the two boys, holding her hand up to her mouth while barely audible noise squeaked out.

" _She's awake!"_

Had it been possible for Ash's soul to leave his body at that very moment, he was sure that it would have when he jumped from the bench. He didn't give disbelief a single moment before tackling his mother into the warmest, greatest hug he could muster in his current position, then jotted past her with Brock quickly on his heels.

It couldn't have really worked, could it? The doctors whispered of some kind of _miracle_ that brought her back; some assumed her body fought off the damages...but what was more important than that...

Ash reached the outside window of her room, barreling at a screeching halt when his hands grasped the railing at the bottom of the window, and he gazed wide-eyed in a room where the injured redhead was being poked and prodded, and given proper breathing mechanics once again. She looked as confused as the nurses and doctors in the room with her—green eyes flashing in all directions as she struggled to find words.

Eventually, when her caustic gaze fell to the observation window where Ash stood, a visible beep startled the medical staff before her heart rate returned to the normal low range that it was in, and Ash found himself smiling like a goofy, ten year old kid again when she looked away sullenly, then back at him again with a withering, curious gaze.

Placing his hand near the window, Ash waved. Surprisingly, Misty smiled back and for the first time in a very long time: Ash knew that everything was going to be okay.

 _Thank you, Xerneas._

 **XOX**

"Ash, I'm finished, lets go." Brock voice cut through the chilly morning air of the cemetery and Ash turned to face his oldest friend.

The young pokemon master was tired, his bruises healed over time, and his ribs did not hurt as much. Pikachu was no where to be seen, but he held a bundle of flowers in his hand; another was placed on a neat grave beside him.

"I'll only be a minute."  
Brock smiled at Ash, tucked his hands into his large coat pocket, and turned away from the Pokemon Master, heading back to his vehicle while Ash finished his own business. Swallowing against the lump in his throat, Ash faced the bold lettering of the grave, and brushed the dust off the top.

It was strange, accepting and learning to live with situations for what they were, instead of what they should have been. Accepting ones self for all of the mistakes possible, every character flaw and challenging trait was a task no one completed perfectly, and for Ash, simply cleaning off a grave was the most important task of the day. Accepting what he couldn't change was the most difficult situation Ash had ever been in, considering, most situations, Ash always changed.

Individuals that lived in his memories were never truly _gone_ , after all.

"Thank you." he muttered into the cold, barely above a whisper before taking his leave and following Brock back to his car.

 **XOX**

Ash didn't like vehicles, but in worlds other than dream land, it was not practical to be without one. He wasn't ten anymore, so most places were out of walking distance, and he was not able to spent hours traveling. Even though he was still unsettled while he sat in the passenger sear of Brock's former-breeder mobile, Ash knew that vehicles were a necessary evil. Especially in a city as large as Cerulean City.

In the distance he could see the tall structure of a white and gray building with large windows—the same hospital he had been to what felt like a million times.

"Man... why do we have to keep coming back here?" Ash muttered and Brock shrugged quietly while shifting into the left lane.

"Because we still have paper work to fill out, documents to file—" Brock's eyes shifted to Ash, swatting his feet off the dashboard. "It's a lot of work. I figured as a pokemon Master, you would be used to that by now."

Ash scoffed looking to the hospital intrepidly before saying: "I do field work. I _hire_ people to do my paperwork."

Brock shook his head at Ash's unbelievable response as they pulled into the hospital's parking area. Finding a spot was no easy task between the heavy multitude of SUV's and mini-vans. Ash was surprised there were not more sports cars in the underground parking, then again, they were the most likely reason people were in the hospital. Sitting for a few moments, the two of them took in the solitude of the moment before exhaling.

"I can't believe it's already been a month..."

"I know." Brock uttered numbly, nodding to Ash as they both clicked open the car door, and slipped out one foot at a time. Mindlessly following Brock up a flight of stairs rather than taking the elevator, Ash winced as memories flooded in. He was still working on his approach, viewing dire situations in a light of day, rather than the darkness he was clouded by before. Brock veered right, heading into the lobby where he waved to a receptionist, and Ash breathed to calm his nerves.

"Since you're so good at it, _you_ go do field world, and I'll take care of the papers." Brock waved Ash on a little too quickly. "There were some things left in her room."

"I know." Ash murmured in quick reply.

Ash did not bother looking at Ash while he crossed into the familiar hallway, past a row of blankets, and then into a hallway he had scarred into the back of his mind. Praying that he would never have to visit here again did not seem to work, since this would mark the third visit this month. Twisting around a set of doors, and barreling into an unused room, Ash marched inside of Misty Waterflower's former room, and exhaled quietly. It still smelled like latex, but her perfumes long since depleted.

Her room was mostly untouched- a few patients had come and gone, but the nurse who found the keepsakes placed them in a bag for Ash to find sitting on the bedside table. Ash saw the care that went into each placement of the items laid out for him, and how proper the bedding was pulled to one side. The beeping machines were long gone, but Ash swore he could still faintly hear the soft pattering of her heart.

"Hey, are you here to pick up Miss Waterflower's stuff?" A friendly, plump nurse asked from the door way, alerting Ash to her presence. The raven-haired boy turned quickly, forcing a smile to his lips before politely nodding.

"Do you need some help?" she offered and Ash shook his head awkwardly.

"...No, I'll manage. Thank you." After all, a lot wasn't left behind by Misty's sisters: a purse, a few torn parchments, and—ah-ha, her family's _secret_ heirloom; a cascade badge turned into a necklace. The requested item from the family.

Ash smiled weakly while scooping up the object and gently placing it into his pocket before turning and leaving quickly. The less time he spent in there, the better. Really, the less time he spent in the hospital as a whole was better.

Brock was flirting with the nurse at the receptionist desk when Ash returned, swinging Misty's old purse side to side. Catching his friend in the act forced the older man to freeze, and Ash to grin.

"Did you finish the _paperwork_ , Brocko?" Ash mocked, sucking in his lips while Brock stammered and cleared his throat.

"Ye-yeah, of course." His back straightened.

 _So there wasn't any paperwork_ , Ash smacked his lips and smiled to Brock, then to the lady.

"I know this might sound rude..." Ash began, quirking an eyebrow. "But could ya' be a pal and give him your number, it'd be really helpful to me." Brock was surprised by how smoothly the questioned landed, and was even more appalled by how the nurse _giggled_ in response.

"I could give you my number?" Ash was about to reject her offer when large, tanned hands flew in front of his face, and jerked him away from the counter at high speeds.

"Ash!" Brock yelped, "Not cool man."  
Chuckling at the pokemon doctor's misfortune, as grinned and wiped his nose.

"She didn't like you anyways!" Ash brushed off, clicking the elevator button while Brock fumed beside him.

"That's not the point."

"..So... you like to hit on girls that will _never_ like you back?" Ash questioned, unsure of Brock flawed logic while he threw up his hands.

"Duh!"

Ash looked forward, slipping into the elevator while looking obscurely at Brock. They had known each other for easily fifteen years, and Ash _still_ didn't understand him. Not even a little bit.

"I think we should order a bride in from over seas..."

"Ash, if I wanted a _real_ girlfriend, I could _find_ a real girlfriend."

As the elevator doors closed, a cocky smirk fell over Ash's lips and he gave a knowing look to his long-time friend and companion who stumbled to keep a straight face.

"Really?" Ash challenged him and Brock would have had words with Ash had he not escaped to the car.

 **XOX**

"And your mom made it back to Pallet Town safely?" Brock asked Ash for the millionth time that day.

"Yes, I've called her six times. Do I hear a seventh?" Ash glared while Brock focused only on the road, switching lanes to the high way. Ash pointed to a sign they passed. "We should grab something to eat on our way back."

"You think so?" Brock asked, concerned for the Waterflowers of Cerulean City, Ash smiled at Brock. "Well, I guess since Delia isn't here to cook. And it beats grocery shopping..."

Sitting back in his chair, glancing at the roses sitting in the back seat, Ash hummed quietly. "Yeah, I'll buy."

"Alright!" Brock grinned. "There are some perks to having a friend who makes millions a year."

"I don't make millions." Ash scowled, a grin tugging at his lips. "I make _billions_." He joked, earning a solid punch from Brock, and a skillfully timed swerve.

"Brock, eyes on the road! We don't need anymore accidents!"

"I know, I know!" He shouted, straightening out and managing the exit.

 **XOX**

The gym was dark when they arrived. It was _always_ dark nowadays because Daisy, Lily, and Violet were having issues being reinstated as the gym leaders in this difficult time; and Misty's ex-fiance was making sure it wasn't easy on them. Being a lawyer had many perks, but mostly it just made him a bigger asshole, and life a little harder.

Brock and Ash had their revenge though, a little bit of gasoline and friends in the police force—they may have had _too much fun_ burning a hole in his pocket. Or, well, his office. But the damage was essentially the same. He had to pay for it; though Ash would have preferred to actually _injure_ him, it was in his best interest to stay _out_ of the media in a negative light; he was still redeemed a hero, after all. At least he didn't get the gym, thanks to Ash's heavy influence over Kanto's league affairs, he called for a new vote in lieu of the circumstances; which only meant that Daisy,specifically, had to prove herself a worthy gym leader.

A task more suited for a seel than Misty's sister.

"Oh! You brought food!" Daisy squealed from the top of the stairs while Ash and Brock made their way up, being careful not to spill anything.

"Three kinds of pizza!" Brock chanted back proudly.

"...I never thought I would say this, but I am _so hungry_ I could eat a rapidash!" She exclaimed ripping the pizza box from their fingers the very moment their heels reached the top of the stairs while Ash looked at her, concerned.

"...Please don't do that."

"Relax. It's a figure of speech!" She shouted while Lily and Violet, who were dressed in work clothes greeted Brock and Ash with a friendly wave.

Since the gym was still under Waterflower name, the sisters were allowed to live here again until the new leader—hopefully Daisy—was chosen. Misty never set any boundaries with the girls, so they were always free to come and go as they liked—they only chose not to. According to their story, Daisy and Lily had never _really_ done anything to hurt Misty, though Violet was trying her hardest to repent and mend the damage she caused. After all, she was only trying to prove to Misty that her fiance was a piece of garbage—one that escalated the lawsuit and staged the situations in his favor.

Ash did not really think too much into it. The girls business was their own, and if he learned anything, it was to forgive and forget. Holding grudges was never worth the ache in the end.

Brock's voice pulled him back into reality while his shoulders slumped and the flowers and grocery bag he held in his hands felt like a million pounds.

"H-hey! The one with anchovies is mine!" Brock screamed at the three vultures while he fell into the crowd to save a slice for himself. Ash stood back, watching them for a moment before Daisy stopped to stare at him.

"You want some?" she invited, moving aside to show off the few slices of pizza remaining. Ash tried not to laugh.

"Uhh," Ash started, "No, thanks. I think I'll go visit for a little bit." Ash hummed, pointing down the hall while they shrugged and returned to consuming the greasy triangles of cheese and bread.

Ash brushed his hair back out of his eyes while he walked, still clutching at the flowers he held so neatly, until stopping at a room at the very center of the hallway. The lights were off still, and he could smell scented candles inside that made his knees weak, and his stomach flip several times. The last time he had been here, it was to find some miracle cure, some absolute solution that would save them all. Now, it was a new, terrifying sensation that occasionally brought tears to his eyes. When he pushed open the door his eyes hit the floor.

"Cha!" The mouse squeaked happily upon seeing his trainer.

"Hey." He muttered into the darkness, hearing pikachu perk up while from across the room.

Silence filled his ears at first, the memory of her voice draining his very soul from his body. A dream, or is imagination. A part of him still wasn't sure this was real, and then finally, _movement._

Beneath the rodent, under a heavy sheet of blankets and the flickering of lights, heavy movement shifting pierced his ears, and his heart sunk to his knees in elation while she made herself visible in the otherwise dark room.

Her pasty skin shined bright like a beacon regardless of the sickly features of her face, and he could have leaped at her in the sudden joy embracing every inch of his body.

"'ey." Answered back to him and his eyes lifted from the sheets, to the bed where green eyes bore holes into his skull. A smile a mile wide danced across his face and relief washed over him. This wasn't a dream, after all.

"I brought you flowers." He announced boldly, holding them out while she slowly sat forward and brushed pikachu off of her chest so she could see him better. Her red hair poked up in all directions. Long gone were the white bandages and stitches, but an ugly scar tore beneath her growing hair.

"Ooh, I like roses." She announced coyly while he approached her, slipping the flowers into an empty vase and mentally noting to bring water back later so they wouldn't die right away. While doing so, he took a seat beside her on the bed, twisted his head to hers and kissed her forehead gingerly.

"Sorry I was gone so long. My mom doesn't like taking the train alone and then there was everything in Sinnoh..."

"It's okay." she hummed back, her voice still coarse from sleep, or lack there of.

"Did you drop off those-?"

"Yeah, both graves. Brock took the flowers to your father's, though, because we were under a time restraint."

"Thank you." Misty hummed against his shoulder in the darkness. "I haven't been able to get out there, and the whole almost dy-" Ash couldn't hear her say it, so he nonchalantly interrupted her.

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

"I just really wanted there to be flowers..."

"I even nabbed fake ones so they wouldn't die." Ash hummed happily while she narrowed her eyes.

"And my stuff from the hospital?" She asked while Ash cleared his pockets, revealing the item she wanted most of all. The cascade necklace gleamed at her in the candle light, and he didn't hesitate before latching it around her neck.

Moments like this were still strained between them, but while she brushed her hand over the healing wound on her head, and tucked her fingers into the growing strands of hair to calm her nerves, Ash kissed the area innocently, then wrapped his arms up and around her back.

She was still black and blue in a lot of places, the light still hurt her eyes from the major concussion she suffered, and until her head healed, she was stuffed with pain killers that she wasn't sure were actually helping her—because her motor functions were all wrong, but that could have been due to the head injury. The doctors made no immediate promises of recovery since so many parts of her body were damaged in the accident—they were still trying to wrap their heads around her longevity let alone the recovery process.

Even though his arms held her dainty, she was exhausted shortly after sitting up and fell backwards in his arms. Dizzy spells came and went, but Ash helped lower her to her pillows, and then hovered above her tired face.

"We brought pizza." said Ash as Misty's face screwed up.

"Oh.." She murmured halfheartedly but then his chaste grin captured her eyes and he reeled away from her to grab the bag he carried in along with the flowers.

" _But_ Brock insisted we stick to the meal plan the hospital gave us, especially since my mom won't be here to cook for you anymore."

"Oh thank mew." Misty uttered quietly thanking the heavens while relaxing beside him. Ash turned to her playfully, tempted to ask her what was wrong with pizza, but decided against it when he saw her face. It hurt to sit up, to lay down, to move, to talk. Punctured organs, broken bones, burned nerves—she was lucky to even be alive, even after a month of healing, she had a _long_ way to go. Without speaking, he set the bag on the night table beside her, then moved two of her pillows to prop her upright. At her side, pikachu jumped from the bed, and went to fetch utensils from the kitchen while Ash awkwardly fluffed her pillowed around her face, and she brushed his arms away instinctively.

"Be careful." She warned him when his upper arm grazed her scalp and Ash quickly apologized.

"..My mom was better at this, I know." Ash mumbled watching while Misty's face darkened when pikachu returned, promptly handing Ash the utensils, instead of Misty. For the first week Misty was home, Delia stayed behind to help her—the mother stayed in the hospital with her after the first week while Ash finished up business outside of the region so he could be here.

 _Now._ When she really needed him.

"I can do it myself." Misty grumbled, but while Ash cracked open the box, he looked at her skeptically.

"The last time you _did it yourself_ , half of it ended up _on_ you." He mumbled sarcastically, but watching her face soften into a pout was poison to his soul.

"Alright, but you'll let me help you when you need it." He demanded while slipping the fork into her fingers, and setting the well balanced meal of ocean fish, vegetables and mashed potatoes in front of her. She grinned, _sort of_ , her brow was curled with determination and she plucked the fork into the meal, stabbing an unsuspecting piece of broccoli and lifting it with great effort.

Ash tried to watch her without a dopey grin, but the pride she took in the little things was commendable, down right respectable when she managed to raise the vegetable to her lips without making a mess. Since she left the hospital, her skin returned to the creamy tone it was before her accident, occasionally even flushed if he said the right things.

"That was the easy one." Ash grinned, and she immediately scowled at him while chewing.

"I don't need you belittling me." She shooed him with her fork while Pikachu watched in awe from the foot of the bed. "Go away."

"No way." Ash retorted quickly, slipping from the seat beside her bed, to sitting beside her over the blankets and relaxing with his feet crossed at the ankles. She ate quietly under his gaze while his fingers mindlessly stroked her upper thigh over the blankets; a few bites here and there, and eventually, as most of her tasks ended lately, her hand was shaking too much on her own to continue. Before she had the time to set the fork down, a careful Ash grasped her fingers and guided the fork to her mouth against her will.

"I don't need help." She scowled and Ash rolled his eyes at her behavior. She didn't fight him when he took the fork from her grasp and started ripping into the last of her meal.

"Everyone needs help sometimes, Mist." he told her while stabbing the meat, and holding it up to her lips. She might have refused to open her mouth under any and all circumstances, but her gaze was soft. Generally, she refused to be fed, a reoccurring problem Delia and her sisters were both having. Once she was too tired to feed herself, she refused help from everyone.

Ash didn't budge though, not until she opened her mouth, then looked away bitterly when she bit down. _Everyone except for him_.

"Good job." he complimented her as if she were a child, an instant, unintentional jab that she reiterated by pushing his hand off her thigh.

"Don't do that."

"Sorry." he said immediately, preparing another bite while looking bashful and sincere.

Ever so often, She would pause between bites, trying to determine if the shame was worth eating; but Ash was so heartfelt about the gesture, she couldn't say no. He was not motherly like Delia, or demanding like her sisters. He was oddly gentle, and caring, and it disturbed her greatly.

"You're going to give me hell for this when I'm better, aren't you?" She asked sharply while he curled his lips and after she finished up the first half of her meal, he packaged it up at he request.

Her medication didn't leave her with much of an appetite, but every little bit helped—she ate at least half today, that was an improvement from the liquid diet she was on originally, then the soft food diet after that. Ash was not good at the complicated procedures, but _this_ , he could do.

"Maybe," he finally replied, taking her frail hands into his own. "But you never know; what if I'm in this boat someday?" he questioned while dusting his hands off while she licked her lips clean; Ash fumbled for a napkin when she leaned forward and grazed her lips against his shirt and he was left gawking at her.

"Thanks for that." he replied sarcastically.

"You're welcome; I was just sharing the awesome smell of fish." She hummed happily while leaning backwards with little effort, thanks to the pillows he stuffed behind her.

"I was wondering when you would come back." her voice was low and uncomfortable while Ash pursed his lips.

"Yeah, Brock gave me a lift from the station."

"Did he?" She grinned. Ash gave her a fitting glace. "Finally getting into cars again?"

"Can't be scared of them forever." Ash muttered, though it was not _him_ that was scared of them now. Misty flinched at the suggestion of riding home from the hospital, it was the reason she didn't want to go back. Even though her sisters, which had a rough patch to work through even now, Brock, and Delia stayed with her after the first week, she was not adjusted to her injuries; she barely recalled what happened.

"I'm sorry..." She started again and Ash let out a frustrated sigh.

"Misty, we've been over this. Don't apologize." he urged, nudging her arm then immediately regretting it when she flinched like a toddler. She was so brittle right now, learning to be gentle was still a priority.

"I know, but..." She might have rubbed her temple if her arms were not so tired from feeding herself, numb from the minor exercise, and Ash's warm fingers laced between her cold ones.

After everything, there was still a lot that needed to be said between them, situations to mend, emotions to heal—but until she was _better_ , they both agreed to let the anger and grudges go for now and focus on what was happening _right now_.

"Do you think I'm going to get better?" She asked finally, unable to look up at him. Ash snapped at her, eyes blinking wildly with pikachu as his back up.

"Of course! Look at how much better you've gotten in the last month. They said it would be a while before you returned to normal, but you can already use your arms again; that's a major improvement." _especially since all of her initial motor functions were shot, courtesy of the spinal injury from projecting forward._

Her eyes caught his blind optimism and she pursed her lips. "I can't walk."

"So?" Ash questioned blinking while her eyes squinted, usually an expression followed by tears and so he thought quickly before adding: " _And_ you can wiggle your toes. That's just as good right now."

" _Ash_ ," she huffed, sounding like a wounded animal. "They aren't even sure I don't have _brain_ damage or something like that, and with these weird medications, I can't tell if I'm coming or going and my whole body is numb and I have a million tests coming up that could determine the _rest of my_ life and..." before the tears fell, he nudging her again which resulted in another jot of pain coursing through her body, and a nasty glare.

Ash was complete unfazed by her complaints and pursed his lips. "...So?"

"So!" Misty gasped, throwing her arms down. "What if it was you!?"

Ash paused, thinking for a long time. "Well, would you be the one taking care of me?" He questioned, watching her face screw up, then twist into a crooked and twitchy smile.

"...Maybe... probably." She inhaled. "I don't know, that's not-!" She started, though her words were stopped by his hands pressing firmly against her cheeks and his lips grazing her own sweetly.

Ash should have felt the difference, between kissing her now and kissing her in his imagination; her lips were rough in the worst way—she couldn't drink too much water because of her medication, but her medication dehydrated her. Even though her lips were not soft or delicate, they were hers and her warmth fueled his entire body. Then there was the way she kissed _him_ , it was not like those cheap romance movies she adored where each kiss resulted in heavy panting, puffy lips and the exchange of saliva; instead, her lips moved sensually against his own, parting just enough to give him goosebumps.

When he pulled away, she was glaring at him, but her face was flushed a bright red that forced him to grin.

"I hate it when you do that." she gawked, smacking his chest playfully. During their exchange, he had brushed the pillow out from behind her, letting her lay beside him while she brushed gentle kisses onto his neck. She didn't have to, at first they did not want to, but when he saw her alone for the first time in the hospital room recovery, they felt compelled to.

Since waking up, neither told anyone, but it wasn't exactly a _secret_. Misty's sisters were a bit disturbed by Ash's advances at first; fearful he would take advantage of her, but then he left for three weeks. Misty didn't reject him, though part of him thought that she should have. Oddly enough, it felt like they were picking up where they left off, but the line between when and where blurred the argument.

He grinned while accepting pikachu's slow movements to sit beside them. "I would be okay."

"You don't know that." She whined in response and Ash smiled wide.

"I do."

Her brows twitched. "How?"

"...because I'd be alive... and that alone seems like a pretty big miracle right now." he managed, a grin tugging at his lips while she huffed and if she had movement in her hips, she would have writhed and flopped down under her covers.

"I hate how optimistic you are." She whined, throwing her blankets over her head.

"No you don't." Ash growled, pulling the blankets back down and crawling beneath them in order to wrap an arm gently around her waist, and pull her cheek to rest against his shoulder.

"It's so weird." She hummed, exhaling softly. "I was convinced for awhile none of it happened. That by some chance I woke up in another time with the option to redo everything..."

She sighed into his shoulder. "It felt so real."

"Did I tell you I time traveled?"

A sincere, but knowing smile covered her lips. "I don't remember saying you were there."

"Oh." He grimaced, but heard the humor in her voice. Deciding to keep the truth his little secret for awhile, he kissed her temple. "Tell me about it."

 _ **XOX**_

No one wants to die, but everyone does. A part of life was dying.

Lucky for him, Misty wasn't quite ready to go yet, and neither was he.

Misty's recovery was not easy, and it was not just the physical wounds that needed to heal. Their sketchy past wasn't so easily put behind them after the second month, when Misty decided to move from the gym, into an apartment closer to the Cerulean City hospital where her physical therapist worked. Since Ash was determined to help her, he filed for temporary leave from his _normal_ job for personal reasons, and helped her move.

Her pride wouldn't let him _live_ with her though. Not officially. Regardless, he still stayed most nights on the couch, held her when she laid awake in gruesome pain, and handled the small details and paperwork of her recovery. Once Brock had returned to Viridian City to run his clinic, it was just the two of them, and it wasn't always easy to handle their tempers.

Daisy was eventually dubbed the temporary gym leader until Misty healed. The hospital sent a letter to the league verifying that _in time_ , she would heal. Only, they never specified how long it would take, and the depression following her injury was starting to weigh on Ash, who did everything possible to remain positive.

Couldn't she see that _being alive_ was enough? The other option was _much worse_...however, pretending like nothing ever happened wasn't any better. Ash knew that reversing the problems didn't fix them. Like adults, they had to fix them little by little.

Misty was just... difficult.

"Hey, I'm here." Ash uttered from the doorway while he made his way into the small apartment to see Misty standing between two bars in her bedroom, holding herself up.

Naturally, pikachu, who spent most of his time with Misty while Ash was away (her personal caregiver, with no exception or argument) stood at her feet, scampering back and forth in fear that she would fall down.

Falling down was also very common, but she always got back up.

Brimming with pride, Ash approached the determined redhead, who flushed upon seeing him.

"C'mon, Misty, you can do it!"

"Could you _not_?" She breathed, blowing a strand of hair from her face while she gripped the railing of the two bars she was supposed to use for physical therapy and held her self up with sheer upper body strength. Ash chanted to her quietly, only infuriating her while he watched from one end of the bars. She was embarrassed by her recovery, but Ash thought she should have wore it like a badge of honor.

"Would you shut up!" Even though she was mad now, later one when the mood passed, she always thanked him for being so encouraging even when she was at her worst.

"Only if you come over here and make me." he taunted her while wagging his fist at her playfully and she growled—had she not been struggling so much with walking, he might have actually been a little more scared than he was.

"Ash...you..." She exhaled, then felt the world whoosh around her when her arms gave out. Luckily, two strong arms, and two tiny paws were at her side, grabbing her around the waist before her head met the floor.

"Careful."

"I told you I was _fine_." She groaned and Ash squeezed her happily, though she wasn't pleased.

"There's always later; how many steps was that today?" Ash asked proudly while flinging her light body up, then draping her legs over his forearm while he carried her off to her chair. Since her physical therapy started, her body was still gaining the muscle it lost from nerve damage. Her athletic body was a work in progress, and she had a long way to go.

Didn't stop her from trying to squirm away from him, though.

"Put me down, I can get there myself!" She shouted, but only playfully fought him.

Eventually when he placed her on the bed, she let out a frazzled sigh. "...and that would have been my second trip back, you ruined it."

Ash laughed from his belly and crashed onto the bed beside her, "That's great, you're doing a lot better. I'm proud of you."

Where Misty _hated_ when people took pity on her, she _loved_ Ash's compliments. They were sincere and-

"And it's not my fault I make you weak in the knees."

"You have to ruin every nice thing that you say, don't you?" his lopsided grin answered her.

"I wouldn't be me if I didn't, would I?"

Her eyes rolled while she fell backwards. Three months following, her hair had grown into a pretty bob that Lily cut for her, she switched from wearing pajamas everyday to a more conservative top that covered the _hideous_ scars and sweat pants. She _always_ wore sweat pants. Jeans squeezed her in all of the wrong places, and for the same reason as her tops; she wouldn't be caught _dead_ in shorts right now.

"Why don't we go out today?" Ash asked, watching her face pale, then scrunch up in frustration.

"I don't wanna." She rejected, sitting up immediately. Ash knew that if she _could_ walk freely, she would have jumped from her bed and into the living room, but unfortunately for her, their current predicament left them stationary.

"Why not?"

"Because people _stare_ are me. Especially when I'm with you. You're famous, you know? And I'm pretty sure everyone knows my face in this town..." She sighed. "If I have one more person tell me that they're _so sorry_ , I might.."

 _"Misty."_ Ash scolded her, watching her face brighten and then she poked her tongue out between her teeth.

"I know, I'm being bitter." He titled his head in a way to her agreement, and she shifted to touch their shoulders together.

"Why don't we stay here and watch some television? Oh, or you can tell me about your recent challenges."

Ash wasn't amused by her obvious avoidance. "Or, we could go out."

"I don't want to." She offered, more serious an hostile that time while she forced herself to stand.

The way her muscles twitched made his body tense. Even after so many months, she was plagued by chronic pain in her legs; pins and needles, and the occasional gun shot. Yet, she refused help. When they suggested that she get used to a wheelchair, she cried for two days. Swore that she would get her mobility back within the year, and while the doctors doubted it; she was moving _great_ for someone in her condition. Her body was like a toddler's again; she had to relearn everything. Unfortunately, that put battling on the back burner as well.

"Well, then I guess I'll keep that surprise to myself." He muttered while she fell into her wheelchair with a satisfied breath.

"... _what_ surprise?" She asked, eyebrows high.

"I can't tell you if you won't come _with me_." Her face twisted, clearly disturbed by this new game he was playing. Though, he knew he piqued her interest.

"Please?" He asked, moving toward her to knee at her legs and look up at her with adoring, puppy-dog eyes. She could withstand it for a moment, breaking eye contact only to roll her eyes, but the long he gazed up at her, the more damage her walls took.

"Okay, _fine!"_ She shouted, throwing her arms up and earning a wild grin from the man.

"We're going somewhere _special_ , but you have to trust me...and we can't take your chair."

If she was scared before, she looked terrified now.

"No." She answered hotly, but she could see by the set of his jaw he wasn't going to take no for an answer much longer. Still, she tried again. "Absolutely not."

"How come?" he whined, "Please?" He asked smiling at her.

"We'll stop by Pallet Town to visit my mom?" He blinked happily and Misty's lower lip quivered—she did enjoy seeing Delia, and getting out of Cerulean City would only be a god send; still, she couldn't just _agree_ , either.

"Well...what is it?"

His eyebrow quirked. "If I told you, it would ruin the _surprise._ Don't be a party pooper, Mist!"

"...the last surprise I had resulted in an unwarranted amount of visits to my family physician." Misty barked sarcastically and Ash rolled his eyes and pressed his forehead to hers, grinning sharply.

"Don't you trust me?"

"Ash..." She whined, letting her head loll backwards while he kissed her lips temperamentally, then whisked her out of her chair, against her flailing arms; slowly, she threw her arms over his back, and wrapped her legs around his waist which he held with his arms.

"Just hold on." He told her and Misty groaned, into his back while he marched out of the apartment, through the fire exit stairs so no one would see them, and then out the back door, where he threw out a pokeball, gleaming with a champion level charizard that grew larger each time she saw it.

"Chaaa!" The mouse squealed, jumping from the ground and up onto charizard's head while Ash neared the pseudo-dragon pokemon, and it licked Ash's face in response.

"Hey, we're gonna take a short trip, do you mind if Misty rides on your back, too?" Charizard huffed in approval while Ash grinned at a scared Misty and hoisted her up onto charizard's shoulders.

"You'll be fine, just don't fall off."

"I swear to... Ash, this better be safe."

Hearing her doubt, charizard breathed smoke from his nose reassuringly, and Ash took a careful seat behind her and locked his arms around her waist, then pressed them against charizard's neck for support while she grasped his arms for dear life. When the pokemon went from standing still, to zooming quickly over the tree branches, Misty screamed; and Ash and pikachu bellowed in laughter.

 **XOX**

It was cliché, and cheesy—he knew that, bringing her back here; she probably thought he was crazy. Route one, somewhere along the river, he helped Misty to sit on a rock and rushed over to where he stowed away two fishing rods, and brought one back for Misty while charizard and pikachu caught up with one another.

"Ash, what is this?"  
"Vacation." Ash announced, ignoring the frigid temperature while he wrapped a blanket around her waist that they could share and grinned happily at her while he threat the line through a hook.

"but why _here_? There are a lot of fishing spots near Cerulean City, did we really have to fly three hours?" she was clearly sore, and while her words presented complaints, she was glowing in unbridled happiness.

"You liked it." Ash said nonchalantly, and she sighed.

"Ash..."

"But this one's special." He specified quickly, then pointed to the stream. "If I remember correctly, this would be the first time you saved my life—fifteen years ago? If you hadn't been here to fish me out of the water that day, I probably would have drowned. We would have never met. None of this would have ever happened. For better or worse..."

Misty's lips curled while he continued and cast his line into the river; though, he knew he wouldn't catch anything of value here. Winter was the worst time to catch river pokemon. Misty smiled.

"You can be so sweet sometimes, and so damn frustrating, too." She growled, casting her line professionally, as if she hadn't missed a single day of fishing. Watching her brought a smile to his lips while he brushed out the hair that grew slowly from the previously shaved scalp—checking to make sure the injury was healing properly; mostly, it was a habit.

She didn't speak for a long time while she watched the bob float at the surface of the water.

"You saved my life, too, you know. _A lot,_ in a lot of different ways." She finally managed.

"You think so?"  
"I know so." She smiled, grasping his hand with her own and leaning onto his shoulder.

The breeze danced between them, and Ash felt whole for the first time in years. No parts missing, no halves broken. Quietly, she spoke again while looking into the distance with a charming smile meant only for him.

"...and Ash, thank you..."

 _For everything._

 **Author's Note** :

(Just fyi, I'm a sucker for happy endings.. ;w;) Well, a bitter-sweet ending at the least.

I hope that was a happy enough ending for everyone? (A bit cliché, to, eh?)

Well, what did you think, Mrs. Nose!? When I was given the prompt, originally I didn't have a set legendary (it was also going to a humor fic haha), (turn back time was not in the literal sense, btw. Typically when people die, as Brock stated in the last chapter, people 'imagine' things didn't happen beacuse it's easy to pretend it's all a bad dream the phrase "if I could turn back time" is very common in life or death situations; also "if I knew then what I know now" is a common phrase as well.)

So, anyways, I went on a legendary pokemon hunt, and something specific about Xerneas caught my eye.

" _Legend says that it can share eternal life_ "

So, and if you haven't already figured it out, there was always foreshadowing. -runs away- I'm also not going to reveal if it was Ash's dream, or Misty's dream, or if Xerneas truly gave him a glimpse of what could have been; because from Ash's POV, it doesn't really matter, so long as she's alive.

I've really enjoyed reading the reviews for this story, you guys have really made my days with the reviews you have left! I will reply to them as soon as possible! :) Kudos, cheers, and thank you for all the feedback/favs/follows -hearts- I hope to see you all again! Let me know what you thought.

NINT

P.S. I forgot to mention that _yes_ , the chapters are labeled specifically after one of my favorite songs. Even though I can't technically include them in the story, there are no rules against having chapter titles as partial of lyrics, and I felt like the lyrics really fit. IF you want to listen to the song the titles were influenced by it is: "When we die" by Bowling for Soup.

P.S.S I'm soooo sorry for double posting? I updated the unfinished version by accident last time!


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